


Incandescant

by yanjunslut



Series: Incandescant [1]
Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 乐华七子NEXT | NEX7, 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV), 创造101 | Produce 101 (China TV), 火箭少女 | Rocket Girls (Band), 우주소녀 | Cosmic Girls | WJSN
Genre: Alternate Universe- Fantasy, Club AU, Demons, Drugs, Elemental Magic, Elves, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Sirens, Slow Burn, Smut, Sorcerers, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Zhangjun, lowkey chengstin, yanren, zhengkun, zhengkun sex finally
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-06-14 00:30:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 47,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanjunslut/pseuds/yanjunslut
Summary: Where Zhu Zhengting is the owner of the infamous club Archangel with thousands of connections but isn't sure who he can trust as he tries to track down his lover who was taken in the middle of a vampire raid several years ago ///// or... fantasy au where i simply wanted to make the idol producer boys mythical beings~





	1. Archangel

**Author's Note:**

> Zhengting doesn't trust anyone and I don't trust Zhengting :))

Sparkling lights pulse along the walls to cast a purple glow over circular platforms down the nightclub’s centre, illuminating beautiful dancers swinging gracefully from silver poles, reaching out to pluck money, jewels, spells and the like from the hands of those watching from their plush red seats. Two massive dancefloors lie on either side of the platforms, with the sleek black main bar set up on the right side directly across from the main stage. Smaller side bars with fewer bartenders and more potent magic and drinks are tucked into the sides of the club, nearer to the VIP area on the left.

The air is thick with magic, sweat, lust and greed, the room packed with creatures from any and every part of the supernatural realm: here for sex, pleasure, spells- Zhengting doesn’t care less he thinks, as he sits atop a counter inside one of the smaller bars, legs wrapped around the waist of an elf who is so focused on kissing Zhengting’s neck that he doesn’t realise the faerie’s lack of concentration.

He leans his head back against the cool wall, immersing himself in the heavy bass as it sends vibrations through his body. A wave of sadness passes over Zhengting as he stares at the ever changing colours of the neon lights spelling out “ _Archangel_ ,” reminded of the reason he opened this club, and wonders what new information the elf has brought him this time.

He shakes his head, trying to bring his attention back to the present as the elf kisses down his neck to his chest where the first four buttons are undone. He moans lightly, twisting his hands into the elf’s soft black hair, showing appreciation for helping him out yet again. When the elf moves back up to his lips, he finds himself pulling away.

“Ruibin.”

Fingers under Ruibin’s chin, he tilts the elf’s face up to look into his eyes, resting his forehead against that of the other male.

“I’ll see you next week?”

Ruibin senses Zhengting ending things, brows creasing in disappointment for just a second before smoothing out his features. He lifts Zhengting’s hand to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Zhengting smiles after Ruibin, eyes following the tall man as he disappears into the throng of dancing creatures, probably leaving the club. He never lingered once business was handled- _and once he’s seen me_ , muses Zhengting, chuckling lightly to himself.

Still perched on the counter, the faerie scans the room searching for someone, patting at his pant pocket to reassure himself that the envelope from Ruibin is still there. Zhengting’s eyes light up as he spots who he was looking for, dancing atop a table at the other end of the building, drawing the largest crowd in the room. He drops from the counter and weaves his way across the dancefloor, resisting the urge to stop and dance himself, smiling apologetically as he untangles himself from a dryad.

Zhengting feels too hot crammed amongst the many club goers, but glides determinedly through the crowd to the front to take in the lithe body of the most popular dancer in the club, strongly sliding up and down the pole in a vibrant red sheer shirt, lightly curled brown hair styled off his forehead, glittering black eyes and deep dimples capturing and keeping the attention of anyone who came close enough.

Ding Zeren: his best friend and best performer, a demon who delighted in dancing and seducing patrons for the sheer thrill of it; whether he did so with his own charms or with magic Zhengting couldn’t tell, but he didn’t mind so long as he continued to bring in the flock of patrons he managed to every week.

He watches Zeren lean down to a satyr boy offering a thin packet containing a moving, sparkling green liquid of some kind, showing off his flexibility with his legs and arms still twined around the pole behind him. The demon takes the spell between his teeth with a grin at the satyr before pulling himself back up, black eyes flashing as he makes contact with Zhengting’s mismatched green and purple ones.  

Zhengting crooks a finger, beckoning him over, and the demon immediately slides down the pole, stepping off the platform and weaving through the onlookers amidst cries of protest as they try to stop him from leaving. A pretty fae girl with pink tinged skin and sunset orange hair pulls at his sleeve, nodding towards the private VIP rooms. “Would you have time?” 

Zeren opens his mouth to reply but finds himself cut off by Zhengting. The tall faerie smiles coolly at the girl, subtly positioning himself between her and Zeren. “I’m sorry darling, but I need him right now.”

The girl pouts and huffs before Zeren flashes his dimples at her, reaching to place a hand on her arm. “I’ll find you as soon as I’m done.”

Placated for a short while at least, the girl grins and slips away; Zhengting smirks at her retreating figure, finding her dissatisfaction amusing.

“You don’t normally have me turning down a private show,” Zeren smiles, mildly confused. “Is something up?”

“Ruibin came again,” Zhengting pats his pocket excitedly. “He says the new information will lead us closer to the whereabouts of Wenjun.”

A concerned look crosses Zeren’s face.

Noting the demon’s distress, Zhengting claps his hands together in a positive manner. “I know we’re getting closer! I can feel it!”

“I know,” Zeren smiles sadly, “it’s just that it’s been over a year now- and still no news.”

Zhengting visibly deflates, leading the demon dancer to backtrack. “Look I’m not trying to- wait a minute.”

“What?”

Zeren stares over the faerie’s shoulder, black eyes sparkling. “Ting, look behind you.”

Three tall males stand a metre or two in from the club’s front doors, illuminated by the _Archangel_ lights. One stands slightly ahead of the others, handsome with a sharp jawline and an undercut, long hair pulled back into a ponytail. _Werewolf_ , Zhengting mentally notes.

Zeren finds himself struggling for breath as he locks eyes with the tall, black haired man to the left of the werewolf who smiles widely at him, exposing strikingly white teeth. “Vampire”, the demon squeaks knowingly under his breath before smirking back, ignoring the sour expression on the face of the blonde accompanying the two.

“Human?” Zhengting mutters to Zeren. “Do you think?”

“The one glaring at me?”

“Yeah, I- is he smiling at me?”

Zeren looks at the blonde again, bitter expression now replaced with an appreciative gaze at the faerie, eyes flicking up and down. “What the fuck, Ting. Why does everyone love you?”

“Because I’m beautiful,” Zhengting grins, taking his best friend’s hand. “And as the owner of this club I have to make them feel welcome.”

******

“Pleased to meet you, Zhu Zhengting, I’m Cai Xukun.”

Xukun smiles warmly at Zhengting, soft blonde hair and pouty pink lips at odds with his intimidating all black attire save for the red pendant pulsing against his chest, clearly visible thanks to the top four buttons left undone.

Zhengting feels a sharp pain as he tries to look at the pendant, realising the jewellery must be glamoured. _What are you hiding?_ He mulls this over, expression neutral, knowing he is powerful enough to see past it if only he can just keep Xukun with him for long enough.

“And this is Zhou Yanchen,” Xukun nods towards the vampire, “and Wang Ziyi.”

The werewolf smiles softly. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Zhengting nods as Ziyi walks away towards the dancefloor, noticing a group of nymphs beckoning him and giggling as he moves closer.

Xukun clears his throat. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Oh, yes!” Zhengting gestures for the three to follow him, walking towards a set of plush lounges by the main bar. Zeren clings to his arm, whispering uselessly over the club music into Zhengting’s ear. “I can’t even hear you but I can guess what you’re going to do so just go.”

Zeren laughs as Zhengting relaxes into a lounge, pleased when Xukun sits beside him. He holds his arm out to stop Yanchen from joining them. “Would you like a drink?”

Xukun rolls his eyes.

“Sure thing,” Yanchen flashes his blinding smile at the demon. “You lead the way.”

The two walk away, Xukun frowning a little as Yanchen walks beside the small dancer, long strides covering the ground to the bar much faster than Zeren’s shorter steps. Zhengting chooses to ignore Xukun’s apparent dislike for his best friend for the time being. “So what is a human doing with a vampire and a werewolf?”

“It’s a long story-“

Xukun is interrupted by a passing bartender, who bows lightly to them. “Anything that I can get for you two?”

“Could I just get a vodka with gold? Unless you have anything you’d like to recommend?”

Zhengting zones out as Xukun speaks to the bartender, focusing on the red pendant against his chest, intent on wearing down the glamour even for just a few seconds.

“Ting?”

Zhengting blinks at the nickname, looking up at Xukun’s face. “Sorry?”

“Did you want anything?”

“Oh.” Zhengting beams at the expectant bartender. “Water’s fine.”

The bartender heads back to the bar just as Xukun’s phone lights up. He glances at Zhengting apologetically. “Would you mind if I check this? It’s important.”

“Go ahead.” Xukun looks down at his phone, leaving Zhengting to focus all his energy on the pendant, straining with effort. _This better be fucking worth it_ , he thinks, teeth gritted in pain. His thumb circles the tattooed charm on his left wrist, willing it to follow through and help him see past the glamour. 

A gold haze surrounds Xukun, the air rippling as Zhengting’s Sight becomes stronger. Encouraged, the faerie forces a final burst of energy directly towards the pendant, head splitting in agony at the effort. Zhengting snaps up to see Xukun’s face, now significantly paler than before, golden hair more silver, smiling at him with- _fangs?_ _Vampire?_

The faerie’s eyes widen in shock as he falls back against the lounge, head reeling from the glamour.  

“Ting? Zhengting? Are you okay? You seem pretty out of it.”

Xukun’s large eyes assess him concernedly, and Zhengting tilts his head at the blonde as he slides closer to him, interest peaked. “Slight headache,” he smiles prettily, “I’m okay if you’re with me, though.”

Xukun laughs, ruffling a hand through the faerie’s curls. “I’m not going anywhere.”

******

“$14.80 for the drinks, thank you.”

Yanchen reaches into his coat, pulling out a wallet.

Zeren places a hand over his, nodding to the bartender. “On the house.”

The bartender grins and pushes the drinks across the counter. “Didn’t see you there, Ren.”

“Short,” Yanchen says.

“Anyway,” glares Zeren as the bartender moves on to the next customer. “I’m a dancer here, so no need to pay.”

Yanchen stares at him.

“What?”

“When are you going to drop the act?”

“What act are you referring to?”

“The one where a demon prince parades around as a stripper in the most illegal club in existence, the one where said prince acts like he doesn’t know his own rival and pretends he’s never seen said rival’s bodyguard in his life,” the vampire snarls, “so quit fucking around.”

Zeren sips his drink.

“Why didn’t you tell your friend you already knew us?”

“Did you forget the glamour Xukun has? By the time I’d fully realised who he was there wasn’t time to say.”

Yanchen tips his glass back, finishing the drink off in seconds.    

“I’ll tell him later anyway. There’s no rush.”

“I looked for you. For two years.” Yanchen leans forward, wrapping a hand around the demon’s wrist. “Why did you just disappear?”

“What does it matter?” Zeren jerks out of the vampires grasp, trying to hide the fact that he was glowing from Yanchen’s words. “We weren’t close long before I left anyway, so- ugh. Just shut up and let me show you around.”

Yanchen silently slides off his seat and follows Zeren, thoughtful.

Not bothering with a real tour of any kind, the demon walks purposefully towards the private section of the club. The fae boy guarding the VIP area winks at Zeren as he tugs Yanchen into a room, curtain swishing back into place once they enter. He pushes the vampire into the sole chair in the room and climbs onto his lap, eyes locked on Yanchen who smirks back at him.

“What do you think of me, really?” Zeren runs a hand through the vampire’s jet black hair, pouting. “Even after Xukun fucked off I was still obviously interested in you, so why not talk to me?”  

“What makes you think I’ve ever been interested in you?”

Zeren doesn’t miss a beat. “As if you aren’t.”

“Fair.” Yanchen grins as the demon nods triumphantly.

“So?”

“A demon prince shouldn’t want anything to do with a vampire bodyguard.”

Zeren leans forward, placing his arms around Yanchen’s neck. “I want everything to do with this vampire bodyguard.”

He darts closer to press his lips against Yanchen’s, only to find the vampire unresponsive. Zeren pulls back, pissed off and confused at being rejected.

“What the hell?” Zeren grinds down on the vampire’s lap angrily. “If this is because of Xukun-“

Yanchen suddenly grabs both Zeren’s hands, pinning them against the armchair on either side of him, leaning in to press his lips against the demon’s throat. Zeren gasps as Yanchen’s fangs slide out, more intense, rough and barely refraining from breaking skin.

He stands up, pulling the dancer with him. Zeren instinctively wraps his legs around the vampire’s waist. Yanchen raises an eyebrow at him. “Everything I do, I do because _I_ want to do it. You and Xukun can be petty on your own time.”

Letting go of the demon, Yanchen turns on his heel and slips past the curtain, heading back to Xukun and Zhengting. Zeren collapses in shock into the armchair, breathing heavily. “What the fuck.”

******

By the time Zeren gets back to the table, Ziyi has returned from the dancefloor to sit in the armchair across from Xukun, who is smiling and talking easily with Zhengting, full attention on the faerie who at some point decided to drape a leg over the blonde’s lap.

Xukun’s content expression is replaced with a frown as he takes in Zeren standing behind Yanchen, eyeing the new dark bruise on his throat. Zeren smirks, happy to get a rise out of anyone, only for Zhengting to tap Xukun’s cheek softly, bringing back his smile.

Zeren hisses.

“Xukun, we should go,” Yanchen says, trying not to laugh at the loss of Zeren’s smug expression.

Ziyi nods his head in agreement, seeming rather bored.

Zhengting rests his hand on Xukun’s arm, tilting his head cutely. “Don’t forget to text me.”

Xukun leans forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

The faerie touches his cheek lightly, lips parted in shock as Xukun simply smiles and walks after Ziyi and Yanchen.

Zhengting silently stares after the three disappearing through the exit, then takes Zeren’s hand in his own, briskly heading back to his side bar. “Close the door.”

“Oh, really?”

Zhengting glares at the suggestive smirk on the demon’s face. “Imbecile,” he snaps, pulling Ruibin’s envelope from his pocket. “The new information.”

“Look, as I said earlier, I don’t want to be a buzzkill, but-“

“Shut up,” Zhengting cuts him off, thrusting the letter towards him. “The clan who took Wenjun, this is- they’ve found it-“

The faerie frantically tears the rest of the envelope open, labelled photos scattering everywhere. Zeren watches as Zhengting grabs at all of them, almost hysterically half-shouting the names he reads. “Bu Fan, Mu Ziyang, YueYue-“

“Prince Cai Xukun.”

“What?”

Zeren holds up a photo, leaving Zhengting stunned as he looks at the beautiful blonde from earlier, finally able to take a detailed look at the vampire without getting a headache from fighting against a glamour. Xukun’s skin was like marble, silver hair glinting under a chandelier, fangs slightly visible as his head was thrown back in laughter. A candid photo from a fancy party, Zhengting notes, sourly reflecting on the fact that not only was the prince even more attractive without the glamour- which shouldn’t be possible- but that he was now an enemy.

Zhengting looks backs to Zeren. “But- if Xukun is a prince then you must have seen him before at some royal event, surely?”

Zeren scowls. “We were close when we were younger, but as we grew older we got on each other’s nerves a lot easier, and as soon as he knew I wanted in with Yanchen he purposely went out of his way to make sure we never really spoke anymore.”

“Not that that isn’t funny to hear,” Zhengting giggles, “but please try to keep your petty drama on the lowdown from now on. I need him to trust me, not to be scared away by my idiot club dancer.”

“Really, though! I was interested in Yanchen for so long, even in the last couple of years before I left to live with you I never got to see him much,” Zeren grumbles at the last part, but brightens up as his fingers press lightly against the dark purple bruise on his neck now, dimples deepening at the memory of the tall vampire’s hands on him.

Zhengting looks vaguely disgusted. “Took you long enough.”

Zeren pouts, leaving his best friend to chuckle under his breath as he stalks out of the room, likely headed to the VIP area to see the fae girl from earlier. Zhengting turns his attention back to the photos from Ruibin, eyes cold as he looks over Xukun’s photo, a sharp smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve made this easy for me, Prince.”

 


	2. Stranger, Sweetheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhengting manages to slip between being a thot and an angsty mess at an alarming rate,,, insert a hundred new characters, and what goes on when the vampires sleep~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi uh its me im back sorry i made y'all wait 2636218 years,, in my defence i just went back to uni aghsghkhgfkh im sorry!! 
> 
> this chapter is a lot longer than the first and in many ways a total 180 in terms of say the first chapter's kinda sexier vibe, but it will go back and forth depending on the chapter's content and characters involved. 
> 
> on top of that i will always update the character thread on my twt ( @yanjunslut yes im aware the username is profane shh),, it gives a brief summary of the characters but whatever is on said thread may be open to change depending on what my brain forces me to write, so try not to hold me to it hehe

“Five pieces of bacon, four pieces of toast and four eggs.”

Ziyi pauses cracking an egg to look balefully at the tall boy beside him. “Chengcheng we’ve been through this. That’s simply too much food.”

A cry sounds out from behind them. “Five pieces of bacon! Four pieces of toast! Four eggs!”

Turning round, Ziyi sighs at the owner of the loud voice, Chengcheng’s equally obnoxious- more so, even- roommate Justin, who was now unfortunately his roommate too. The sixteen year old is already sitting at the table, tearing into another slice of toast despite the mouthful of unswallowed food clearly visible from the bulge in his cheeks. Next to him sits Xukun, sipping a blood bag whilst struggling to make the younger boy sit still as he tries to fix his school tie.

“No is no, Justin,” Ziyi says calmly, flipping over the bacon. “And stop pouting, Chengcheng. Don’t try to act like you’re not about to buy out the entire canteen as soon as it hits lunchtime.”

“So what you’re saying is I have to starve until then.”

Justin slams a fist into the table, rattling his plate. “How dare you starve my boyfriend!”

Chengcheng shakes his head in confusion as he takes a seat next to Justin. “We aren’t even dating Justin, how many times do I have to say this?”

“That cuts deep,” the younger boys says, clutching his heart, ready to launch into a depressing ballad. “Fan Chengcheng, what can I do to win your heart- ow!”

Justin breaks off as a shoe smacks into the side of his head, staring at it when it falls onto the table.

“Yes, it’s your left school shoe which happened to be in my sheets, although you certainly don’t seem too worried about that since you haven’t mentioned it was missing at all!”

“Good morning, Yanchen,” greets Ziyi, mildly.

A wild Yanchen stares at the werewolf, eyes bloodshot. “Morning for you perhaps,” the vampire grits out, “but it is over an hour past my bed time and I desperately require these children to leave so I can sleep. Xukun how the fuck are you so awake right now?”

Xukun laughs, packing school books into Chengcheng’s and Justin’s schoolbags. “With my blood bag and the motivation to get these kids out of the house so I can have a good long fucking nap.”

Chengcheng eyes Xukun’s blood bag suspiciously.

“Whose blood is that?” Justin asks excitedly.

“We don’t know,” Yanchen reaches into the fridge for a blood bag, then sets about pouring it into a mug. “But it’ll be your blood I’ll be drinking tomorrow if you don’t get out of here and let me sleep.”

Chengcheng looks alarmed, but Justin forges on. “What time are you supposed to be in bed?”

“Four or five am.” Yanchen sips from his mug. “Luckily it’s so dark and cold here that being awake at this hour isn’t fucking killing me. Chengcheng eat your eggs, I’m not actually going to eat you.”

Shovelling the last of his food in with a hurried glance at the vampire, Chengcheng bends to pull his shoes on properly, then takes his bag from Xukun. “Thanks.”

“Any time,” grins Xukun. “I noticed you’re in your final year- some of the course material you’ve got looks really complicated!”

Justin slaps Chengcheng on the back, doubling over. “Can’t be that hard, we all know Chengcheng’s dumb as shit.”

Chengcheng rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” he opens the front door, shoving Justin out into the hallway. “Have a good rest you guys… or whatever you’ll be doing, Ziyi.”

Xukun and Ziyi wave goodbye as the door closes.

“Finally,” sighs Yanchen, sinking back into his chair. “I can go to sleep-“

The door flies open and Justin leans around the doorframe, grinning cheekily. “By the way, if one of you guys could clean my room today that’d be greatly appreciated.”

“OUT!” Yanchen roars, flinging a spoon at the door.

Ziyi chuckles as the door slams shut, listening to the younger boys’ raucous laughter echoing down the hall as they run to get into the lift.

“It hasn’t even been a week,” groans Yanchen, kneading his temples, “but I can sense a mental breakdown coming if we stay here much longer. Isn’t there anywhere else we can go?”

“Not really,” replies Xukun, sipping from a blood bag, “given that none of us have any human ID on us with which to apply for a proper place.”

Ziyi walks across to the door to pick up Yanchen’s spoon. “If it’s really bothering you I can put a bit more effort into finding out where my ex has disappeared to, although if she’s moved around much I can’t guarantee she’d have kept my files anyway. But if she does happen to have the ID required for renting then I’ll do my best to get us a place.”

A bright smile comes over Yanchen’s face. “Thank you, you big handsome considerate dog you.”

“Don’t,” warns Ziyi.

Xukun bursts into laughter. “Well this was fun,” he yawns, stretching his arms above his head, “but I’m heading to bed now.”

 

******

 

It was roughly a forty minute walk from Chen Linong’s home to school. Although many other kids at his school took the bus from a far lesser distance, his family could barely afford to send him to the private school he attended, so the expensive bus fees were not even an option. Truthfully, Linong did not mind at all.

While it could be tiring at times, most days Linong was more than content to make the journey. He was in his final year of school, and after six years of walking this route he found it to be almost the only time of day he could count on for peace and quiet. The pretty scenery only made it more worthwhile, in his opinion.

Part of his daily routine was to stop at his favourite café both before and after school for a coffee, just to keep him awake enough to get through the day. Linong was a favourite amongst everyone in his hometown, but he particularly loved Café Blush and its staff very much.

Pushing open the pretty pink door to the place, he stepped into the shop and walked straight up to the counter, pleased to find the place relatively quiet for once so he could head over to school quickly.

“Morning, sunshine,” the girl behind the counter smiles sunnily. “Mimi isn’t here until later, but if you drop by after school I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

Linong blushes. “Morning, Xuanyi.”

“I’ll have it done in two minutes,” she grins knowingly, disappearing behind the coffee machine.

Turning to go sit down to wait, Linong swings his bag off his shoulder- only to slam it into the customer he hadn’t noticed had come up to collect their own coffee. He drops his bag in shock, watching in horror as his books scatter all over the floor and the customer’s coffee ends up flung across his clothes, the half empty takeaway cup then falling to the floor.

“Oh my god, I’m so, so sorry, let me help you,” Linong panics, grabbing tissues from the box on the counter and frantically dabbing at the man’s blue jacket. _Oh god, this looks expensive_. “I’ll buy you a new coffee!”

“It’s okay!”

The man bends to the floor, picking up Linong’s text books carefully before the coffee spreads across the linoleum to stain the pages. Linong watches in surprise for a second before joining the stranger on the floor. “Are you sure?”

“No actually, you can buy me a new one.”

Blinking, Linong reaches for his wallet.

“Woah,” says the stranger, holding up his hands. “I’m totally kidding!”

Linong hesitates. “Are you really, really sure?”

The stranger flashes a dimpled smile at him. “Seriously, it’s okay! It’s just four dollars kid, I can handle it, and you don’t really have time to wait around for another order.”

“Oh- yes.”

Seemingly amused at Linong’s fumbling, the man chuckles and pats his shoulder. “Make sure to come back for that girl later, though.”

Xuanyi shoves his now ready coffee at him and cackles as Linong flushes, bowing his way out of the café. The stranger winks at him, then turns back to a waiting Xuanyi to make another order.

Linong finds himself still smiling at the stranger’s kindness as he makes his way towards his school, with one minute to spare until the bus was due to arrive.

As if on cue, his school’s blue and white bus rounds the corner down the end of the street. Linong watches it draw closer as he sips his coffee, shivering a little as he notes the piercing cold for the first time that morning.

He savours the last few moments of silence before the shrieking and fights begin for the day, and hopes he won’t be given a massive pile of homework on top of his pre-existing assignments. Linong hated to complain much- and almost never did- but his parents became increasingly difficult to deal with the higher his workload, expecting only the highest results for every class. He took this in stride however, knowing they only want the best for him, and simply resolved to work harder for their sake as well as his own.

The bus comes to a halt and Linong moves to the side as the door opens, knowing to leave room for the flood of kids stampeding out. His eyes turn to crescents as he takes in the shock of blonde hair in his vision and holds out a hand to help.

“The stress of the school bus is just too much for me, Nongnong,” Quanzhe huffs by way of greeting as he takes Linong’s hand, climbing down the steps whilst struggling with the straps of his too large schoolbag.

Linong reaches over to tug them on properly, smiling brightly at the younger’s discomfort. “Morning, Little Hamster.”

“Chengcheng and Justin almost missed the bus _again_ today getting snacks,” Quanzhe continues, “and I feel like one day the driver is going to get so sick of me making him wait for them that he’ll just kick me off too!”

Justin jumps off the bus and slings an arm around Quanzhe’s shoulders, taking a large bite out of a chocolate bar as he wheezes with laughter. “I told you he can’t do that!”

Linong finds himself smiling at the contrast between the two, Quanzhe perfectly dressed from head to with his hair clearly having been bushed to all its fluffy perfection by his mother, his tie tightened neatly and shoes polished brightly. Justin, by contrast, had never owned a hairbrush in his life, never buttoned up his top three buttons and his heels sat noticeably off the back of his shoes. Linong did note, with some surprise, that Justin did in fact have his tie done correctly for once.

The three look up as Chengcheng finally steps off the bus, always the last to do so, waving goodbye to the driver as he hauls his book filled bag onto his shoulder. “Hey Nongnong!” He shouts, mouth full with some kind of bread roll.

“Hey-“

“Chengcheng!” Quanzhe yelps, brows furrowed, “I told you both straps have to be on your shoulders or you’ll ruin your back!”

“It’s already ruined-“

Linong moves to once again fix another bag, wondering why all his friends are so hyper and loud so early in the morning. “Just humour him Cheng.”

Quanzhe beams satisfactorily.

“Okay, well, Chengcheng and I have our free period now so we’re just going to do a tutoring session in the library,” announces Linong, waving at the younger two. “See you guys later!”

“Bye!” Justin yells after them, Quanzhe waving enthusiastically beside him before glancing down at his watch. “Okay, we have twenty minutes until class starts so we should walk over now. Justin?”

“Chengcheng’s really a giraffe isn’t he?”

“Mhmm,” nods Quanzhe. “I wonder how frustrated Nongnong gets trying to get information into his big head. Must be hard.”

The boys stare at the older two climbing the steps until they disappear through the library doors.

“Well,” says Justin. “That was fun.”

“Mm.”

 

******

 

“Ting.”

Zhengting feels his roommate shaking him back and forth, but can’t bring himself to wake up. “Mmmffshgashd.”

“What?” Zeren huffs in annoyance. “Get up before I kick your ass, Zhu Zhengting, it’s nearly two pm. Ruibin is here, and he has a friend with him.”

Zhengting buries his head under his pillow. “Tell him to come back later,” he whines.

Zeren sighs. “It seems important, Ting.”

“Ahhh.” The faerie sits up reluctantly, wavy hair messy but still pretty, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Okay, I’m coming.”

He rolls off the bed and contemplates throwing something on that is perhaps more appropriate to meet someone for the first time, but decides that even in his silk black pyjamas he still looks better than most people on their way to a party. Smiling tiredly at himself in the mirror, Zhengting quickly brushes a hand through his hair before trailing down the stairs after Zeren.

Ruibin leans across the kitchen counter, looking much more awake and incredibly handsome, to Zhengting’s annoyance. It was too early for him to have pretty boys over, he thought crossly.

“Hey Zhengting,” Ruibin smiles quietly, taking note of the faerie’s sober attitude immediately. “I didn’t want to bother you, but this seemed important.”

Zhengting smiles back softly, as always touched by the elf’s kindness. “It’s okay,” he tilts his head at the new elf beside Ruibin, “nice to meet you.”

The elf takes his hand and shakes it, tucking long silver hair behind his ear as he pulls away.

“My friend, Zhou Rui,” introduces Ruibin. He shrugs at his friend. “If you just want to get right into it…”

“Right, yes. Well I just came back from a feeder delivery to a lair near the royal castle, addressed to someone called Ling Chao for a party he hosted last night,” Rui recounts. “While I was there I took a few photos for our files as Bufan and his crew were there, but I also took some of a vampire who seemed to fit a description you yourself gave us a while back.”

Zhengting’s heart pounds. “You saw Wenjun?”

“Uh… no,” Rui says awkwardly.

Zhengting visibly deflates, and Ruibin quickly covers Zhengting’s hand with his. The faerie threads his fingers through the elf’s and squeezes in gratitude.

“This vampire seemed to be in and out of the party all night, and although he doesn’t seem to be officially connected to Bufan or any of the other vampires in the clan we’ve been investigating in relation to Wenjun’s disappearance, he keeps cropping up at the same parties and events as many of them.”

Ruibin gestures to the envelope in Zhou Rui’s hands. “Just show him.”

Rui nods, pulling out some large photos and sliding them across the table. “Does this vampire resemble any of the ones who attacked you that night?”

A beautiful, youthful looking vampire with pale skin, flame red hair and fox-like features jumps out at Zhengting from the photos; never still in any of the photos taken, always mid step and with a ghost of a smirk in his slight smile. In the final photo, he was the closest to the camera than in any other shot, with his hand raised to touch his own cheek as if to hide a blush. It wasn’t the sudden almost cute change in the vampire’s demeanour that struck Zhengting so much as the thin silver band set with a blue stone glittering on his fourth finger, taunting the faerie evilly.

“Ting?” Ruibin asks concernedly, bumping his shoulder lightly.

Zhengting pales. “That ring- it’s my engagement ring.”

 

******

 

“SEE YOU TOMORROW, NONGNONG!”

“Justin!” Quanzhe shrieks, “JUSTIN GET BACK IN!”

Linong doubles over at the sight of a wild Justin leaning half out the bus window as the bus begins to pull out of the school parking lot, tie finally off and hopefully tucked safely into his bag, Quanzhe gripping his blazer tightly in an attempt to force him back into his seat. Chengcheng shrugs helplessly at Linong through the window, unbothered as he bites into a hot dog.

“Justin!” A yell sounds out from beside Linong. “Sit in your seat before you give poor Quanzhe a heart attack!”

“Zhangjing! Bye!” Justin shouts, obligingly pulling back a little into the bus. The other two wave goodbye as the bus turns onto the road, Quanzhe appearing a little calmer.

“God,” says Zhangjing, shaking his head. “The only explanation I have for the driver letting those three in the back seat with the windows open is that he’s hoping Justin actually does fall out one day.”

Linong bursts into laughter again, wiping away tears. “You’re probably right. Now let’s go, I’ve been waiting to go to Blush since I left this morning.”

“I’m sure you have,” teases Zhangjing.

“Shut,” Linong flushes as they walk across the pedestrian crossing, wrapping an arm around his smaller friend and tugging him near, careful to keep the hyper school kids around them from jostling him too much. “Any orders or anything today?”

“Only Mrs Li. Order and payment thank god, the moon festival last week cleared me out. There were so many amazing spells… and really good food to try,” Zhangjing giggles, sheepishly.  

Linong rolls his eyes at his friend’s mention of food. He’d known Zhangjing for two years now, having met him accidentally on his walk home from school, sitting in a field not far from Linong’s house, surrounded by books and various pots and glasses of strange things- and a bright green bonfire. He remembered being so intrigued he had walked right up to him.

_“What are you doing? How did you make the smoke green?”_

_Zhangjing shrieked._

_Linong looked at him in concern. “What’s wrong?”_

_“How on earth can you see me- any of this, right now?”_

That had been the day Linong realised he had what Zhangjing informed him to be the Sight, meaning he could see and sense the supernatural world within the human one, which had made Linong feel very reassured about not being crazy as he had slightly suspected his whole life.

Since then, Zhangjing- a sorcerer himself- had been secretly training Linong as his apprentice under the guise of tutoring him for the past two years, and with Linong prepared to study both magic and his school classes with the same dedication, his parents hadn’t a hint of his double life, and he preferred it that way. He loved his parents, but he knew their thoughts on ‘hobbies and fairy-tales.’ Besides that, he felt special to have his secret with Zhangjing.

The two come to a stop in front of the town’s pretty white and blue bakery and press themselves against the window.

“God, it’s really busy today,” Zhangjing says, peering in, “you go in and I’ll hold your bag.”

Linong slides his bag off his shoulder and onto Zhangjing’s, the sorcerer twisting to get it on without dropping all his spell books.

“Just take this in to Mrs Li and tell her it’s the last dose for Quanzhe’s stress medication, and an extra charm for his sleeping stress. She says upcoming exams are only worsening his mood.”

“She’s not wrong,” Linong nods, opening the pink diary the two of them used to track appointments and outstanding payments. He points to today’s date. “I’m only to charge for the stress medication, right?”

“If we charged her for everything Quanzhe needed then she would be absolutely broke,” Zhangjing giggles. He pushes open the door and waves to Mrs Li, who looks about as stressed as her son at the rather long line of customers. “She really needs to employ someone here again, this place is hectic. Go on, you can just help her until she’s ready.”

Linong saunters through the door, calling out cheerfully to Mrs Li and the customers as he did so. Zhangjing waves once again and closes the door, not watching as he jumps out into the street and smacks into a pedestrian, his spell books flying out of his arms across the pathway.

“Oh my god, everyone is running into me today.”

“I’m sorry,“ Zhangjing squats down to gather his books, annoyed at himself for being so clumsy. He senses the person drop in front of him to help. “I can pick them-“

Gasping lightly under his breath, he breaks off and falls backwards, only for the stranger to reach and place a hand under his back to prevent him from smacking into the concrete. He gazes up in shock at a smiling man, all dimples and silver hair and sharp jawline. _Possibly the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and I’m flopping on the ground like a fool, I’m gonna-_

“Are you okay?”

Zhangjing sucks in a breath. “I’m okay,” he nods uselessly.

“Well now I guess I can ask,” chuckles the man, handing him his large green spell book, “did it hurt when you fell for me?”

“Really?” Zhangjing huffs, brushing away the stranger’s hand as he tries to sit back up himself, but his legs give out and he finds himself simply sitting on his butt, staring a little too long at the man’s face. _Wait_ , his features harden as he fully registers the aura and charm and _good looks_ \- “What are you looking for, _siren_?”

The sorcerer scrambles to his feet, snatching the other two books out of the Far Too Attractive man’s hands and tucking them away in his bag. The last thing he needed was some flirtatious siren doing god knows what in this town flicking through his spell books. Zhangjing figured that although he preferred to keep somewhat on the fringe on supernatural social life- save for what he had to deal with to earn a living- he certainly had never come across a profile belonging to this man, and he had always been careful of strangers.

Blinking in surprise, the siren steps back, laughing at the angry small man on the ground. “Okay you got me. Why so aggressive?”

Zhangjing chooses to ignore the question. “Can you at least think of a more interesting line if you’re not going to leave me alone? Do you really have to use such an old one?”

“You think I have to tell any with this face?” The siren smirks satisfactorily, looking over a scowling Zhangjing into the shop window to peer at his reflection. He adjusts his beret. “I just find it entertaining.”

“Well… do better,” replies Zhangjing, just as the shop door jingles. He breathes a sigh of relief as Linong appears, stepping out of the shop with Zhangjing’s client diary and a cheque. “Finally! Let’s go!”

Linong begins to nod, then startles, finger pointing past Zhangjing in recognition and open mouthed surprise. “Hey… you!”

Zhangjing follows his gaze to the annoying man beside him, lip curling. He shakes his head in disbelief as the siren flashes his dimples at him. “You know this… man, Nongnong?”

The younger boy nods enthusiastically.

“Ah, Nongnong, is it?” The siren smiles widely. “I’m Lin Yanjun.”

“How…?”

Linong wraps his arm around his confused smaller friend, grinning cheerfully up at Yanjun. “I accidentally knocked his morning coffee all over him and he helped me pick up my books that I conveniently dropped all over the shop,” he laughs.

A yell suddenly sounds from up the street, and the three of them look up to see a black haired girl waving at Linong, gesturing for him to come over. He waves back, grabbing his bag back from Zhangjing and begins to walk faster. “Yanjun, come with us to get coffee, I’ll buy you another now! Meet you guys there!”

He then takes off down the path, not struggling at all despite his heavy bags and books. As soon as the younger boy is out of earshot, Zhangjing whirls on Yanjun. “So you just ‘happened’ to bump him into a random kid at a store and then again in the same day?”

The siren shrugs. “He bumped into me.”

“I know your kind,” insists the sorcerer, shaking his head. “You always have some ulterior motive. ‘Fess up.”  

“He’s a sweet kid.”

Zhangjing grips Yanjun’s arm tightly. “Look, you might be acting so innocent and kind and generous, but I _know_ what sirens are like,” hisses Zhangjing. “You probably didn’t even pay for that drink, thief- ow!”

The shorter man yelps as he finds himself spinning around, losing his grip on the siren who now looms over him, hands braced on Zhangjing’s shoulders.

“Listen here, sweetheart,” Yanjun growls, breathing heavily, “if people give me shit for free because they happen to like my face, then so be it. But I’m not such a terrible person that I’d just con people every time I want something from them.”

Zhangjing juts out his lower lip stubbornly. “What are you doing with Nongnong?”

Yanjun sighs. “I just met the kid today and he invited me to come with you now because he recognised me and because _he’s a nice person_ , I guess? I’ve never heard his name before, I don’t know who he is, and honestly he seems so innocent I can’t imagine what you think I would be able to gain from him other than friendship.”

Zhangjing crosses his arms over his chest, remaining silent as Yanjun moves closer to him.

The siren bends to eye level with the smaller sorcerer, their lips now dangerously close. “I might want something from you, though.”

Zhangjing’s breath hitches, causing Yanjun to quirk an amused brow at him. He shifts to the side of the path as a girl struggles past them with her shopping, clearly trying not to show her interest in their obvious tension.

_He’s beautiful_ , thinks Zhangjing, _but I don’t have time to play games._

“Baby?” Yanjun tilts his head. “What’s the verdict?”

Distaste washes over Zhangjing’s features. “Stick to sweetheart.”

Yanjun laughs. “I can do that.”

“And wipe the smirk off your face,” Zhangjing barks, raising his arm as if to hit the taller man, “because that’s all you’ll be doing. Nongnong wait for me!”

Linong turns around from his place outside Blush up the street, his eyes still perfect crescents from chatting happily with the pretty waitress whilst helping her clear the outdoor tables.

He takes in the sight of the sorcerer running towards him, with Yanjun following slower behind, appearing deep in thought. “There’s no rush, Zhangjing,” he laughed. “We always have a table saved.”

“You don’t have to help me, Nongnong! It’s my job, go wait inside silly.”

Linong picks up the last teacup, placing it on the tower of dishes he has balanced along one arm as he smiles at the protesting waitress. “But Mimi, you wouldn’t like me so much if I didn’t help, would you?”

Mimi tucks her black curls behind her ears, struggling to hold back her smile. “Get in the kitchen then!”

Linong stays put, giggling at her flustered antics.

“Go on!” She kicks at the air in front of him. “Get!”

 

******

 

“Xoxo… _Gossip Girl_.”

Laughter erupts to Zhengting’s left and he whips around to see Rui wiping tears from his eyes, slapping Ruibin’s arm uncontrollably. “ _What_?”

“It’s just,” Rui coughs out, still shaking, “I’ve never seen such a dramatic rendition of that tag line.”

Ruibin bites his cheek. “He may have a point, Zhengting.”

Zhengting pouts. “You two should be grateful I let you stay over to watch this masterpiece. It’s been a stressful day for me.”

Zhou Rui looks unimpressed; Ruibin offers a tentative smile. “It was very… wild. Enjoyable?”

“Convincing,” scowls the faerie, stretching his arms over his head. “I can’t be bothered to get up and change the disc. Zeren?”

“No.”

“Okay rude.”

“Ah, I’ll do it,” Ruibin says, rolling his eyes, blushing slightly when Zhengting cheers and kisses him on the cheek before snuggling back under the covers.

The elf pushes the large blanket across them all off of himself and hops off the couch, walking over to the DVD player.

“Don’t scratch it!” Zeren orders.

Ruibin tilts his chin, folding his arms over his chest. “No promises demon. Don’t be lazy if you don’t trust me with your stuff,” he grins cheekily.

Zeren sticks his tongue out, then turns to Zhengting. “Why are you staring at your phone again for the hundredth time today?”

The faerie pouts. “Xukun hasn’t texted me yet.”

Zeren looks at him like he’s stupid. “Zhengting. He’s a vampire.”

“I know, it’s hot,” says Zhengting, smiling.

Zhou Rui cracks up, only to be silenced by Zhengting glaring at him. He notices Ruibin watching the faerie wistfully before walking out to the kitchen, and decides to pick up the various cups and bowls of leftover food scattered over the coffee table, hurrying out to check on his friend.

Zeren sighs. “Are you serious right now?”

“What?”

“Vampires sleep during the day, idiot.”

“Oh. I forgot.”

“Clearly,” says Zeren, flatly.

Zhengting’s face brightens up. “I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation! Of course he’ll message me as soon as he wakes up.”

“That’s presumptuous.”

“It’s expected,” Zhengting laughs, leaning in close to the demon. “You can call me vain but in all honesty, who would turn me down?”

Zeren flicks his forehead. “Me.”

“You’re a crackhead gremlin, you don’t count.”

“That was harsh.”

“I’m kidding, come here and love me!”

Zhengting throws himself on top of Zeren, rolling the two of them off the couch. He begins tickling Zeren, finding himself tearing up with laughter at the small demon’s kicks of protest.

The coffee table beside them suddenly buzzes as Zhengting’s phone vibrates. Zhengting squeals and climbs over Zeren as he scrambles for his phone, smiling triumphantly as he reads over the text.

**_[7:23] CXK:_ ** _hey it’s Kun, are you free tonight?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you made it through this trash then !! god bless ur soul ,, its not really proofread bc im simply to lazy, let me know what u thought tho!! uwu xxx


	3. Hierarchy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zhengting has a nightmare and goes on a date with xukun
> 
> character thread:  
> https://twitter.com/yanjunslut/status/1015304686373486592?s=21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo i wrote this in one day instead of my assignment thats due tomorrow but yeet ig,,, also if there's mistakes well i've lost my glasses and quite literally can barely see the laptop screen sO i hope it's okay!

_Bi Wenjun understood hierarchy._

_He knew his place as a servant, working for one of the most powerful families of fae royalty. He understood how lucky he was to be raised by the sister of the Seelie King, educated amongst fae of the Summer and Autumn Courts._

_He knew that his adoptive mother_ _loved him with everything she had to give, even if no one else did, and even though he was only hers because she_ _had one day simply taken a liking to the tiny boy with brown curls and pink cheeks before stealing him away at only age three from his human family. Even with the clear distinction between himself and the fae- the knowledge that he would only ever be on the fringe of their lives- he was content with his place in the world, and had never asked for more than what he had, knowing the past to be unchangeable._

_Wenjun thinks this over as he weaves in and out of the ballroom, clearing dishes and delivering meals, offering drinks and the like to the guests as efficiently as he can, determined not to mess up on the birthday of the princess of the Summer Court. As usual, he finds himself wondering whether if he had a shorter, slighter frame he would be able to slip less noticeably through crowds of sharp-eyed fae._

_Glancing quickly at one of the floor length mirrors embedded in the walls, Wenjun smiles a little and smooths his curls out of his eyes, assessing his appearance before walking towards the rather crowded table nearby. Some of them he knows, some he doesn’t, but he’s always quietly fascinated by the different reactions to his presence. He had very few friends growing up- the difference in wealth and species too much for many fae to consider befriending him- but he could always sense them watching him, eyes raking over him in that entitled way with which they imagined he didn’t realise. But notice he did, and the fact that his human visuals managed to entrance even the fae was something that filled him with confidence his whole life, even if it meant dealing with their jealousy._

_Music starts up again just as he reaches the table, faerie flutes crooning and beckoning partygoers to the dancefloor. Wenjun doesn’t watch as everyone brushes past him, simply begins to neaten the table, rearranging the silken pink tablecloth._

_A loud burst of chatter fills his ears all of a sudden, cutting through the air so harshly that he almost knocks a teacup onto the floor. He turns crossly to see the culprit, eyes landing on a couple barely two metres from him, the only ones this side of the room not on the dancefloor._

_Princess Cheng Xiao looks back at him, all flowing blonde hair and pale pink frills and bright eyed smile, most likely laughing at something her companion had told her. Wenjun smiles back, Cheng Xiao having always been one of the few fae who have been kind to him at court. He suspected that if it wasn’t for her extensive schedules they would be closer; the princess seemed to have no regard for class separation._

_Wenjun snaps out of his thoughts as Cheng Xiao’s giggle is joined by her companion, now turned in his direction. Soft blonde waves with a pink flower crown atop his head and a pretty pale pink silk shirt on, Zhu Zhengting looks back at him, bright white teeth visible for a second longer before disappearing into a judgemental stare._

_Zhengting, one of the first fae Wenjun had ever met, present in the classroom when four year old Wenjun was brought in to be educated with the fae children as his new family wished. Seated beside Zhengting, Wenjun remembered his mother’s words of encouragement to make friends and held out his hand shyly. Amidst the stares of their other classmates, Zhengting never reciprocated the greeting._

_Thinking back, Wenjun supposed he at least had Zhengting to thank for preparing him for a world of rejection in his life at court._

_Over the years, Wenjun had realised that the faerie’s sole goal in life was to climb the ranks of their hierarchy: it wasn’t enough for him to be the most popular, to be rich, to be beautiful- his family wanted a title beyond being simply summer fae, he wanted it, and he could marry into royalty if he just played his cards right._

_It was confusing for Wenjun, dealing with Zhengting. Overlooked as a human, he had the ability to leave important events and sneak into areas he shouldn’t, and to see things he shouldn’t see. Only Wenjun knew the Zhengting who nursed the little bird injured in the library back to health, who freed the little girl trapped in a faerie ring without asking for a favour of her, who chose Wenjun for team events before he could be last chosen- albeit often under the pretence of it being for a joke._

_The faerie was flawed, for certain. Zhengting was only as kind as his ambition would let him be; never content with his life, too driven for Wenjun’s taste._

_But as much as Wenjun tried to hate him, the best he could do was clown him for being a social climber. And even then, he knew that despite it all he was still the fool for loving him._

_Wenjun had never wanted more than what he had. Except Zhu Zhengting._

_He tries not to focus on the faerie, trying not to laugh as Zhengting becomes increasingly flirtatious with the princess, picturing how furious Zhengting would be if he told him to stop being so desperate._

_On his second trip back from the kitchens, a handsome blue haired fae interrupts the princess and Zhengting, and Wenjun watches in his peripheral as Cheng Xiao is whisked towards the dance floor, leaving a scowling Zhengting behind._

_Feeling a bit reckless, he turns around from the table to face the faerie. “I didn’t think you swung that way.”_

_Zhengting stares at him incredulously, and Wenjun thinks for a moment that he’ll pretend he didn’t hear. Instead, he tosses his blonde hair out of his eyes, looking down his nose. “I swing wherever the wealth does.”_

_Wenjun looks away, immediately conscious of his waistcoat and uniform, for the first time annoyed with his status as a servant, mad that they can both be lacking in something but it is only he who is treated lesser because of it. He reaches to clear the remaining plates from the table, adding them to the pile of stained white dishes already resting long his forearm, then turns curtly on his heel and disappears through the curtains separating the servants’ quarters from the ballroom._

_Zhengting didn’t often think twice before opening his mouth, and certainly didn’t dwell on how the things he said to people could possibly have a negative effect on them, but today the faerie feels something in his heart squeeze as he watches Wenjun’s tall figure cross into the area he’d always made sure to avoid._

_Zhengting glances at the princess who had returned to check on him and nods at her distractedly. “I have to go.”_

_He doesn’t notice Cheng Xiao smiling behind him as he walks briskly towards the servants’ quarters, entering them for the first time in his life. The curtains are like a maze to him, temporary and flowing walls of silk and gauze that separate the kitchens and preparations rooms- seemingly with no order to the place- some areas with servants hard at work, others dark and empty, just a space between rooms._

_It is behind the sixth set of curtains that Zhengting stumbles through that he finds Wenjun, the human stepping through a set of white silken sheets into the same space as him, the only light being the pink lights from the ballroom reflecting across the floor and onto the curtains._

_Wenjun raises his eyebrows._

_Zhengting stops halfway through the silken sheets and swallows, shuffling his feet a little, noticing Wenjun’s mouth quirk up slightly at his awkwardness. He clears his throat lightly. “I…”_

_He trails off, leaving Wenjun looking unimpressed. He crosses his arms. “What?”_

_The faerie closes his eyes for a moment, his guilt at war with his pride. Breathing in, he opens his eyes to look straight into Wenjun’s deep brown ones. “I just wanted to apologise. I shouldn’t have- “_

_Zhengting squeals in shock as Wenjun closes the gap between them at lightning speed, grabbing Zhengting’s hips and pulling him fully behind the billowing white sheets, kissing him forcefully on the mouth, tugging him closer, closer as the faerie kisses back, jumps to wrap his legs around Wenjun’s waist, closer, closer, then slamming up against a cabinet, the whole time Wenjun kissing Zhengting’s giggling away, hissing to be quieter, kissing faster._

_“Wenjun,” Zhengting laughs between kisses.. “Look at me.”_

_He pulls back, gazing at Wenjun for a moment, then his smile turns to shock as Wenjun’s face shifts in a split second, brown eyes glowing red, fangs slipping out, tearing into Zhengting’s throat. “Wenjun? Wenjun!”_

“Zhengting? Zhengting!”

Ruibin wakes up to Zhengting thrashing against the bedsheets beside him, yelling Wenjun’s name at the top of his lungs. Breathing evenly, Ruibin tries to calmly but quickly restrain the faerie’s arms before he can smack them painfully into the headboard, murmuring his name over and over until Zhengting finally opens his tear-filled wide eyes, and it breaks the elf’s heart to see just as it has every day since he first witnessed these panic attacks over a year ago.

Tears pour down Zhengting’s cheeks, and all Ruibin can do is hold him tight and close as the faerie sobs into his chest until he falls asleep.

******

“Who is Zeren?”

Yanchen yanks his phone out of Justin’s line of vision. “None of your damn business.”

“Did you meet him on Tinder?” Chengcheng chimes in from the other side, eyes wide with interest.

“Don’t crane your giraffe neck in my direction,” replies Yanchen rudely, giving up entirely and shoving his phone into his shirt pocket. Chengcheng sniffs as the vampire continues, “I don’t even know what that is.”

“It’s a dating app.”

Yanchen appears disgusted. “Absolutely not.”

“What’s wrong with dating apps?”

“Enough!” Yanchen shoves Justin backwards onto the top bunk, nodding as Chengcheng scrambles into bed below. “That’s right Chengcheng, _get_.”

Justin sits up. “Why are you always so grumpy?”

Yanchen considers the mess of the past two weeks spent living in a crammed apartment with two high school boys, unfamiliar with the area and with no source of entertainment nearby save for Zhengting’s club on the weekends and now strangely, seeing Zeren whenever the demon happened to have spare time. Which was suspiciously almost never, but Yanchen wasn’t in a position to push that matter.

The vampire thinks back to the three of them madly apartment hunting at night, the only time they all could together, and finding that it was really almost impossible to rent a place in a fairly decent area like this if you did not have any identification of, well a _life_ \- particularly proof of a stable enough job that one could use to prove their ability to pay rent. Yanchen was beginning to wonder whether it was worth simply giving up and going back home, but for Xukun’s sake he remained with them, although he was insistent that they find one within the next day or so.

After an entire night of useless searching, the three hired a hotel room so they could at least take sleeping shifts. Ziyi searched the next day, Yanchen took over after sundown until nine pm, and Xukun ventured out after his return.

It was at this particular hour that Fan Chengcheng had had a craving for McDonalds, and on their way back up the stairs to their building had bumped into Xukun, who was reading lease notices off the lobby noticeboard. Justin and Chengcheng had rushed over, asking if he was looking to rent there, and when Xukun told them he was, the two immediately offered/begged him to rent with them, while he asked/begged for them to let him without even checking with Ziyi and Yanchen.

 _Perhaps,_ wonders Yanchen, _they might not have been able to stay here much longer due to the rent cost if we hadn’t moved in._

In all honesty, he was really starting to love the two boys, as annoying as they could be.

Yanchen picks up a pillow and begins hitting the younger boy on the head. “I’m not grumpy, you two are just incredibly annoying _and_ it’s past your bed time and I’m going out instead of babysitting you two idiots.”

“You sound like Ziyi,” comments Chengcheng just as Justin says thoughtfully, “harsh but fair.”

“Don’t compare me to the dog, thank you.”

A knock sounds on the bedroom door behind them where Ziyi and Xukun stand in the doorway, Ziyi in tight jeans and a button down while Xukun is head to toe in black, save for the purple eyeshadow brushed across his eyelids.

Justin whistles in approval.

Ziyi shakes his head as he always does when the others mock him. “Just, why?”

Yanchen flits across the room to Ziyi’s side. “Let’s not do this now, bro.”

“Yeah, we gotta go, bro,” adds Xukun, clapping Ziyi on the back, laughing as he follows Yanchen to wait by the front door. “Later, bros!”

Ziyi rolls his eyes as Chengcheng and Justin dissolve into laughter. “Just make sure you guys get some sleep, okay? Just because tomorrow is Saturday doesn’t mean you get to put off that chemistry report, Chengcheng.”

“I love my real mother,” says Chengcheng.

“I’m leaving,” Ziyi announces, closing the door behind him, and Xukun and Yanchen laugh all the way to the elevator at the younger boys’ muffled screams of “LATER BRO” echoing down the hallway. 

******

“I truthfully did not anticipate going to the black market for our first date, Ting.”

The two have been in the long line of market goers outside for nearly ten minutes now, security apparently rather cautious with the crowd, who look much to be the same types who visit Zhengting’s nightclub. It’s no wonder that Zhengting is so at ease in this environment.

“This is a date?”

Xukun tilts his head. “Do you want it to be one?”

Zhengting’s heart skips a beat. “Yes,” he replies firmly.

“Then here we are,” grins the vampire, “at ten o’clock at night, in a seedy looking area surrounded by a bunch of criminals who could attack us at any moment. A lovely first date.”

“Hey, the market is exciting,” insists Zhengting as he flashes an ID card at the door security, tugging at Xukun’s sleeve to pull him inside with him. The security- as with most people- did not seem to be as strict with the faerie as they were with everyone else. “Have you ever even been?”

“No,” admits Xukun, “it’s not especially common for people like me to linger in these areas.”

 _Not common for vampire royalty, huh?_ Zhengting smirks at the thought before grinning happily. “So I’m your first.”

Now Xukun smirks a little. “I suppose so.”

Once inside, Xukun glances around the famous black market, which seems to be one large empty shed, all the stalls able to be packed up and rearranged at the end of every night. The crowds are thick and impolite, but seem to part for Zhengting, who evidently knows his way around easily.

“I’m just putting in a new order for a bunch of new spells we need at _Archangel_ ,” the faerie points to a stall ten metres away. “Then we can check out the rest of the place.”

As they draw nearer, Xukun assesses the couple at the stall, chattering so quickly and sharply that he couldn’t tell if they were having a good natured discussion or fighting. He decides on the former, as the female of the two immediately shuts up upon seeing Zhengting, beaming at him.

“I’m Meiyun!” The rather tiny girl fusses with her fringe for a second, then adjusts the too big black pointed hat atop her head. “You’re obviously Zhengting, Linkai told me how beautiful you were! I’m his new assistant, because he seems to have realised that humans in the black market should have a witch like me at the very least to help them out.”

Zhengting shakes her hand, while Xukun stands by his side silently.

“Well Meiyun, this is Xukun,” Zhengting introduces, then nods at the boy beside her who looks out of place- yet strangely stylish- in a printed shirt and jeans and fluffy brown, longish hair. “Linkai, Xukun.”

“Xiao Gui,” corrects the shorter boy, almost immediately. He glares at Zhengting, raking a hand through his hair. “Nice to meet you, Xukun.”

Xukun manages only a quick “nice to meet you, Xiao Gui,” before Meiyun pulls him towards her own little set up at the back of the stall, thrusting different things into the vampire’s hands whilst Zhengting rattles off his order to Linkai.

“Don’t touch anything green!” Linkai yells at Xukun from his counter. “And especially don’t go near her faerie dust. You too, Zhengting, that shit’s batshit crazy.”

Zhengting splutters. “I’m fae, I think I can handle faerie dust, sweetie.”

Linkai shrugs. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

From Meiyun’s counter, Xukun swivels around to call to Linkai. “Almost everything here is some shade of green!” He picks up a tiny mustard yellow pot delicately between his thumb and forefinger. “Or at the very least… a rather disgusting shade of yellow.”

Meiyun lets out a giggle, slapping his wrist. “Everything is _just fine_ , very safe! I made all these myself!”

“Wow you’ve convinced me,” Xukun says sarcastically, raising his hands up and out of reach of any of Meiyun’s experiments until Zhengting is finished business with Linkai and comes to save him.

Waving goodbye to the two- “a rather untrustworthy looking pair, in all honesty,” as Xukun noted- Zhengting then tugs Xukun along to a massive stall of glass boxes and cages of magical animals, some being beautiful birds with singing talents and others more fascinating hybrids of all kinds, some sweet tempered, the majority rather dangerous.

Zhengting sighed unhappily. “It’s always been a dream of mine to come here and buy them all their freedom.” He watches the fluttering movements in the cages sadly. “But they have no survival instincts and would only be recaptured straight away.”

“You’ll think of something one day,” Xukun takes his hand, nodding knowingly. “You seem to always have something up your sleeve.”

The faerie laughs a little. “At the very least, I’ll find a place far away, big and secluded, and sweep all of them away and let them live freely in my home.”

“I knew you could do it,” Xukun laughs, only half sarcastically.

Zhengting bumps against the vampire’s shoulder. “Let’s stick to human pets for now.”

“Actually, I remember always wanting pets when I was a kid,” Xukun sighs wistfully. “And now I’m not really in the best situation to raise one.”

_When you were a kid or when you were human?_

“I have two dogs,” Zhengting says aloud, smiling brightly at the vampire. “You have to come and meet them, you’d love them.”

“Of course I will,” Xukun smiles back. He wriggles his eyebrows. “Perhaps I’ll love them more than you.”

Zhengting whirls on him, tearing his hand out of Xukun’s to bat at him, typical bratty pout appearing in seconds. “Take it back!”

Xukun grabs Zhengting’s hands and pulls them around his own waist, leaning in close. “Never,” he whispers, then releases the faerie from his grip and breaks away, half running to another stall.

Chasing after him, Zhengting giggles as the vampire playfully swings behind the different store displays, ignoring the shouts of annoyance from the witches and warlocks as he brushes by their spell racks and crystal balls too quickly, too childishly, inviting the faerie to come and play with him. As he rushes after him, Zhengting wonders how often Xukun lets people be around this side of him, and who is lucky enough to see it.

They spend the next few hours messing around in the different stalls, Zhengting letting a young witch test her new makeup products on him- the rose lip tint was especially nice, he decided- and Xukun trying his best not to be dragged into a fortune teller’s tent. The most trying part of the night was holding Zhengting back from freeing the caged imps, Xukun rationalising that there was only two of them there against everyone else in the marketplace, and that it would be highly likely for the sellers to simply kill the imps rather than attempt to catch them again. The faerie had found himself crying with Xukun’s arms wrapped around him, resting his forehead against the vampire’s chest.

He felt an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness when Xukun pulled back, then reached to lightly trace his thumb under Zhengting’s eye to wipe his tears. Zhengting felt annoyed with himself. _What the hell is my heart doing, pounding like this?_

Not long after midnight, the two decide to leave, having seen almost all there was to see. Hand in hand with Xukun, Zhengting is almost out the door when a voice in the exiting crowd calls out to him.

“Zhengting!”

The faerie turns to find Meiyun behind him, pushing a thin white packet into his hand, a cheeky grin on her face. “I hope it’s as good as you’re expecting.”

With that, the pixie darts back into the crowd, presumably back to Linkai, leaving Zhengting with a curious Xukun. “What is it, Ting?”

Zhengting smiles, tucking the packet into his breast pocket. “I promise you’ll find out soon.”

******

They stop on the porch for Zhengting to get out his keys, his heart having been nervously fluttering all evening at the idea of Xukun finally coming over. His plans are sadly thwarted, however, as Xukun’s phone begins to buzz in his hand.

Xukun glances at the screen. “Oh Ting, I’m sorry- it’s Ziyi, I gotta…”

“I understand,” says the faerie. He leans in to kiss the vampire, aiming for the corner of his mouth, but a cold feeling washes over him as Xukun minutely twists just enough for the kiss to land square on his cheek. _What the fuck?_

“I really am sorry, baby,” Xukun repeats, and Zhengting confusedly finds that he can’t be angry at the seemingly sincere regret on the vampire’s face. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Come see me soon,” Zhengting pouts, shaking his head when Xukun replies that he will. “Sooner than last time! I want to see you more often.”

Xukun smiles again, softer from Zhengting’s plea. He squeezes the faerie’s hand tightly, and kisses his cheek again. “Tomorrow,” he says, “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

Zhengting watches quietly as Xukun walks down his footpath and onto the street, already waving for a cab. As he goes inside and slips upstairs to his room, he tells himself that his heart is stinging because of his failure to get closer to Xukun, not because he really cares for him.

 

******

“I just feel like I’m making no progress!”

Zeren watches as Zhengting throws himself across his bed dramatically and begins mummifying himself in the black silk sheets. “What are you talking about? He can’t take his eyes off you as far as anyone can see?”

A muffled “maybe so” sounds out amidst the faerie rolling around, tangling himself further.

“So what’s wrong?”

More shuffling, more muffled speech.

Zeren rolls his eyes and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, narrowly avoiding a kick to the face. “Zhengting,” he slaps the faerie’s leg, “I cannot hear a word you’re saying.”

The faerie bursts upwards, tearing the sheets frantically over his head. “I said ‘I CAN’T BREATHE!’ Idiot!”

Shielding his face with his arms, the demon jumps back from Zhengting lashing out at him, almost falling to the floor. He grabs a plush deep purple throw pillow from the many pillows on Zhengting’s bed and holds it in front of his face, laughing as the faerie continues to uselessly pummel it.

After a minute or so of fighting, Zhengting draws away and flops onto his back. “I just can see,” he breathes heavily, “that Xukun tells me everything… without telling me anything. And it drives me crazy.”

Zeren looks thoughtful. “I think we need a new angle.”

******

_“I’m just going to be asking you some questions.”_

_“Okay.”_

_“Name?”_

_“Bi Wenjun.”_

_“Age?”_

_“Nineteen.”_

_“Species?”_

_-_


	4. Don't Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> linong is still (happily) thirdwheeling zhangjun, chengstin are idiots, zhengkun are messy and yanren are figuring shit out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter all y'all suddenly ?? turned on kun ?? so i've maybe explained a little, although honestly speaking y'all are right to be suspicious when really none of them are very trustworthy ehehe
> 
> dedicating this messy chapter to @fanpd_ bc i love her x

As soon as Zhangjing opens his front door, he is hit with a delicious smell wafting down the hall from the kitchen. He grins happily, mood lifted at the thought of any food Linong can make, knowing the younger boy to be a wonderful cook.

His smile fades as he realises that Linong is not the only one in the kitchen.

“Zhangjing, you’re back! We’re making-“

“Why is he in my house?”

Linong sighs. “Come on, Zhangjing, it’s been almost a week! You can stop pretending you hate him already.”

Zhangjing frowns. “Who says I’m pretending.”

He looks at the siren properly now, taking in the silver hair, tight black jeans and white t-shirt, trying to focus on how silly he looks with flour on his face and in his hair, rather than the fact that Zhangjing wants to scream in frustration at his good looks. Yanjun stares back at him, a kicked puppy expression on his face.  _Fine, I won’t kick you out, only because you’re so annoyingly handsome._

Linong rolls his eyes. “If that’s how you want to play it then fine.” He picks up the tray of food in front of them and places it in the oven, Yanjun closing the oven door when he’s done. Dusting off the flour on his face with a tea towel, he picks up his backpack and comes over to the sorcerer. “It’s got to cook for an hour, so come and teach me a new spell!”

Forty minutes later and the trio have barely even mentioned any of Linong’s studies in favour of discussing anything but. To Zhangjing’s annoyance, Linong begins to express his interests in Yanjun’s powers.

“Why would you want to learn about sirens? Their powers are only a means to manipulate others.” Zhangjing glares at the siren.

“If my powers are manipulation then so is your magic,” Yanjun counters, brow furrowed. He appears to be a little hurt, and while Zhangjing is beginning to feel a little bad about his mean comments, he just can’t help it; his pride prevents him from easing up on the siren. He looks away.

Linong smiles happily at Yanjun. “So you can sing well, you swim and all that stuff and take a bird form- what else?”

“Well,” a smile comes over Yanjun’s face once more, “I can shift my features and body to take on a form more appealing to the person I’m talking to.”

“Really?” Linong asks excitedly. Zhangjing tries not to roll his eyes.

Yanjun nods. “It’s really useful to do when I need something.”

Linong’s eyes widen. “I wish I could do that,” he says wistfully. “Do you think Mimi would like me more if I was taller?”

Zhangjing and Yanjun share a glance before breaking out into laughter.

“What?” Linong asks, pouting.

“Nongnong, you’re a giant already,” laughs Yanjun. “I think she likes you very much just as you are.”

Zhangjing nods in agreement. “He’s right,” Zhangjing agrees, ignoring Yanjun’s look of surprise. “There’s nothing about you that should be changed.”

The eye smile of Linong’s that Zhangjing loves so much appears. “Well can you show me how it works, Yanjun?”

“Of course.” The siren thinks for a moment, lips forming a smirk. “Okay, Zhangjing, give me your hand.”

“What? No!”

“Zhangjing, please,” Linong begs the sorcerer. “It’s just quickly!”

Zhangjing huffs. “Fine,” he holds out his hand, “but don’t do anything drastic or I’ll turn you into a frog.”

“Teach me that too,” whispers Linong, only to be silenced by a glare from the elder.

Yanjun takes Zhangjing’s hand, and the sorcerer wills his heart not to pound any harder than usual. He and Linong begin to watch Yanjun, entranced as the siren closes his eyes, a look of concentration on his face. When he opens them, Linong lets out a squeal at the new, startling ice blue colour. “That’s so cool!”

“It’s weird,” Zhangjing wrinkles his nose. “I don’t like it.”

“Hmm.”

Yanjun’s eyes shift back to brown, and seconds later the dark roots of his silver hair follow suit, growing out rapidly until all his hair is completely a shade of very dark brown. It’s straighter than the wavy silver, and hangs over his eyes a little. He looks directly into Zhangjing’s eyes, their dark colour combined with the new dark hair making the sorcerer breathless.

Seconds pass, and the two are still looking at each other, Zhangjing feeling hypnotised by the siren’s piercing gaze but unable to look away. He inwardly curses himself and then Yanjun, telling himself the siren is messing with him somehow.

He gasps aloud as his heart skips a beat and the siren finally breaks his stare and leans back, smirking. “Dark hair, then?”

Zhangjing snatches his hand back.

Linong looks between them with interest. “Little bit awkward for a minute there,” he grins, “but oh my god, that was so amazing to watch! Thank you Yanjun!”

“No problem,” Yanjun smiles fondly at the younger boy. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Oh my god,” Linong says, looking at the silver watch on his wrist. “I didn’t realise it was almost five. I better leave before my parents worry.”

He quickly pulls his backpack on and hugs Zhangjing tightly, bumping Yanjun’s fist over Zhangjing’s shoulder with a laugh. “See you tomorrow, and be sure to check on our cooking soon!”

The older two watch as the giant boy bowls down the hall and dashes around the corner, both laughing at how cute he is until Zhangjing turns to Yanjun, nodding towards the door. “You too.”

Yanjun sighs, having hoped he’d made some progress in befriending the sorcerer. “Later then,” he bends to pick up his bag and heads out the door, preparing to run after Linong. He’s halfway down the hall when a shout stops him.

“Wait!”

He stops in his tracks. “What?”

“Uh,” Zhangjing looks sheepish. “I can’t reach the book I need.”

Yanjun takes in the sight of the smaller man reaching to about the eighth shelf, fingers grasping at the wood so as not to fall down. The shelves aren’t as high as the massive ones Linong showed him in Zhangjing’s secret library, but it’s clear the sorcerer is still too short to reach the top three shelves.

“Don’t you have a stool for the higher shelves?”

“Nongnong is my stool.”

“Okay,” Yanjun says confusedly, making his way back to Zhangjing. “Which one?”

“Black, silver writing along the spine.”

Yanjun’s nods and successfully pulls the book from the shelf. “But what do you do when Nongnong isn’t here?”

Zhangjing shrugs. “Try to climb up sometimes- which doesn’t usually end well- or one time I tried to use a spell to fly it out, but I seem to have misplaced it-“

He stops speaking when he realises how close Yanjun is, until the siren takes his hand and wraps it around the book, eyes twinkling. “You could buy a stool,” Yanjun tilts his head. “Or you could call me over instead.”

Noticing his small hand still covered by the siren’s much larger one, Zhangjing retracts his quickly, blushing fiercely. “Change your hair back.”

Yanjun looks into one of the many mirrors placed about the room and analyses the new hair colour, liking the way it darkens his eyes and how it compliments his tanned skin. “I see what you like about it,” he grins, “it’s a lot sexier than the silver.”

“I never said that!”

Yanjun pretends not to hear the sorcerer’s protests or to notice his pink cheeks. “Do you want to get something to eat?”

Zhangjing is pleasantly pleased by the abrupt change in subject. “Actually, now that you mention it, I wanted to see what you two were cooking earlier, it smelt really good…”

He tosses the spell book across his little coffee table, any plans for magic forgotten as he skips happily out the door and down the hall to the kitchen. He yells for Yanjun to follow him.

Yanjun smiles, a feeling of warmth washing over him at the smaller man calling his name. He wonders if this is progress, if a week or so of being around Zhangjing, helping him and Linong, _trying_ to make him laugh- he’s sure he saw Zhangjing smile yesterday, he’s just pretending not to find him funny, right?- that maybe, just maybe, the sorcerer is starting to accept having him around. He considers that perhaps Zhangjing even _likes_ him, then decides that’s probably pushing it. At the very least, he’s now confirmed that Zhangjing does indeed find him very attractive.

“I can work with this,” Yanjun mutters to himself as he leaves the room, pulling the door closed behind him. He begins to walk quickly towards the kitchen. “Don’t eat everything at once!”

“SHUT UP!”

******

“Why the hell would you get two packs of twenty four nuggets?”

Chengcheng juggles the two bags of McDonalds in his arms, attempting to open a nuggets box without spilling anything onto the ground. He grabs three nuggets and shoves two into his cheeks before rearranging the bags carefully again. “Extra for everyone at home,” he answers through a mouthful of chicken.

Justin looks away in disgust. “Don’t lie, _Ronald McChengCheng_ , only Ziyi can eat this and he’s so healthy you know he _won’t_. You’re just a pig.”

The older boy shrugs, swallowing his food. “Study cravings.”

“Maybe the nuggets will find you some brain cells.”

“Nuggets are powerful like that.”

Just as they reach the corner around from their apartment, Justin’s phone falls to the ground. “Shit,” he mumbles, “hold up, Giraffe.”

Chengcheng continues on, either not hearing or simply ignoring the younger boy. Justin rolls his eyes and squats to pick up his phone- careful not to spill his fries- when he hears a loud crash followed by an anguished yell. “Chengcheng?!”

He hurries after him, greeted with the sight of Chengcheng staring sadly at the ground, both bags on the ground, nuggets scattered everywhere along with his coke now pooling at his feet.

“My Maccas,” Chengcheng howls mournfully.

“Chengcheng, you idiot, I _told_ you to be careful-“

“I’m sorry, it was my fault.”

Justin notices a third person with them for the first time, lingering in the shadow of their school bus stop just behind Chengcheng. Chengcheng steps sideways a little, allowing the stranger to step closer.

Now visible under the streetlight, the boys struggle not to gasp aloud at the inhumanly beautiful man standing in front of them, all black silk shirt, deep purple-black wavy hair and mismatched purple and green eyes, a softly apologetic smile upon his pretty face. “I should’ve been more careful,” he pouts, “I’ll buy you more to make up for it!”

Chengcheng’s face brightens up immediately, and Justin puts a protective arm across him. “It’s okay, you don’t have to-“

“Thank you!” Chengcheng cuts over him, already on his way back to McDonald’s and gesturing to the stranger to follow him, “it’s just down this street, not far. I haven’t seen you around here before? I’m Chengcheng, and the Nugget Anti here is Justin.”

Justin stares into the dark sky hopelessly as Chengcheng chatters incessantly, wishing for all the world that his best friend had any common sense at all.

The stranger smiles at them cutely as he walks beside them, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt seemingly out of habit. “I’m Zhu Zhengting.”

******

Roughly fifty dollars’ worth of McDonald’s and plenty of sweet talking later, Zhengting finds himself out the front of Chengcheng’s and Justin’s apartment.

He hadn’t expected Justin to be quite so apprehensive about his presence at first, given Zeren’s relayed description of the two from Yanchen’s perspective- “not a single brain cell between them”- but clearly Justin at least knew enough to be wary of strangers. Chengcheng was just as dim witted as he had anticipated however, and Zhengting shouldn’t have found it as endearing as he did.

The three talked as they waited in line at McDonald’s, Chengcheng trying to explain how hard his school classes were whilst Justin screeched over the top of him about how his classes wouldn’t be so hard if only he wasn’t “so damn stupid.” Zhengting himself was surprised at how much being with the younger two lightened his heart, and when Justin rather tentatively asked if he would like to come back to their place and watch a movie, the faerie realised his enthusiastic agreement was actually quite genuine.

They crowd inside as Chengcheng opens the door, and Zhengting wrinkles his nose as soon as he crosses the threshold. “It smells like dog in here.”

“Indeed it does, overwhelmingly so.”

Zhengting and Chengcheng shriek and jump behind Justin at the sudden voice coming from somewhere in front of them. Justin fumbles for the light switch and flicks it on, and the three blink rapidly as the ugly yellow kitchen light fills the room.

Yanchen sits in his armchair staring directly at them, a smirk crossing his lips as he takes in Zhengting’s and Chengcheng’s shock. “My, my,” he grins, eyes glowing red. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

“Do you have a problem?” Zhengting’s temper flares up at the vampire’s words and he scowls and folds his arms across his chest. “We barely know each other.”

“Woah, woah.” Justin holds up his hands, moving to sit on the couch beside Yanchen’s armchair, Chengcheng and Zhengting following to settle down with him. “How the hell do you two know each other? And Yanchen, why the fuck are you creepily sitting in the dark like that?”

“I just woke up and came to chill out here quietly until Xukun wakes up, but no such luck with you here.”

“Where’s Ziyi?”

“You think I pay attention to where he’s going? I’d assume he’s at the gym.”

As if on cue, the front door opens again, revealing a sweaty Ziyi in gym shorts and a singlet, a towel slung over his shoulder whilst rapidly chugging water. He closes the door behind him, shaking his entire body and flinging drops of water everywhere. “Hey bros, what did I miss?”

“Hey bro,” says Zhengting, trying not to laugh at the greeting.

Ziyi looks in surprise. “Zhengting?”

Chengcheng beams at the werewolf through a mouthful of Big Mac. “He bumped into me on the street and spilt my Maccas on the ground, so he bought us more and we invited him to come and watch a movie with us!”

“Oh,” Ziyi looks to Yanchen for help, who simply shrugs. “Well, nice to see you again.”

“You too.”

“Uh, anyway,” interrupts Justin, “how did you all meet?”

Yanchen flicks a hand in Zhengting’s direction disinterestedly. “At his nightclub.”

“You run a nightclub? That’s so cool!”

Zhengting smiles at Justin. “You should come visit sometime.”

“He’s underage,” interjects Yanchen, shortly.

“When he’s older I’m sure he’d love to come,” Ziyi says gently. “Chengcheng is old enough, but probably wouldn’t be very safe there.”

Zhengting silently agrees with this, given that all it took to get an invitation to Chengcheng’s home was buying him McDonalds, but decides against voicing that aloud. “Perhaps not.”

The door to Xukun’s shared room with the younger boys opens and the blonde vampire comes out, running a hand through his sleep mussed hair, blinking himself awake as he notices the faerie in his home.

“Hey Kunkun,” Zhengting smiles sweetly, “we were just about to start a movie.”

Justin and Chengcheng share a look of amusement mixed with disgust at the nickname, and Xukun silences them with a meaningful look before either can open their mouths. “Don’t.”

The three shuffle along the couch to make room for Xukun, who sits on the end beside Zhengting, and the younger boys exchange wide eyed looks when Zhengting immediately slings his leg over Xukun’s lap and rests his head on the vampire’s shoulder.

“I didn’t realise y’all were that close-“

“Can it, Justin,” Xukun says, just as a knock sounds from the front door.

Yanchen smacks his head against the armchair headrest. “Who the fuck now?”

“I’ll get it.” Ziyi closes the fridge door and walks over to open the door. “Oh, hey. Yanchen, for you.”

“Hey, baby.”

The perfect smile of Yanchen’s that has so rarely made an appearance over the past few weeks is back and shining at full capacity as Zeren steps into the room, usual glittery club attire forgone in preference of a giant black coat down to his ankles. Yanchen crosses the room with large steps, fussing with Zeren’s scarf as soon as he reaches him, then kisses him on the cheek.

Justin scrunches his nose. “Chengcheng, we’re surrounded by couples, when are you going to ask me out?”

Chengcheng sips his coke and says nothing.

“It really be your own best friend, huh,” Justin sulks, leaning back into the couch. “Someone hurry up and put a movie on.”

“We’re going to go now,” Yanchen announces, suddenly in front of the fridge. He tosses a blood bag to Xukun and stuffs two into his own coat pockets. “See you all later.”

He slips out the door at the vampire speed Chengcheng finds still gives him whiplash when Zeren turns back, raising an eyebrow at Zhengting with a slight inclination of his head, the faerie offering a smile and shrugging one shoulder in return. Xukun watches the two silently, looking away when Ziyi begins to ask for movie requests.  

******

Zeren squeals excitedly as he spots the neon green “open” sign lighting up the window of the kebab store. “I wasn’t sure it would be open today but thank god it is because I have been craving HSP _all day_.” He glances at Yanchen. “I know it’s cold, but I want to eat on the beach tonight. And you can… drink your blood, I suppose.”

Yanchen raises a flask. “Don’t worry, I put it in here.”

“Good,” Zeren laughs. “Wait, are you not wearing a glamour?”

“No need,” grins Yanchen, tucking the flask into his pocket. “It’s late and quiet here, there’s hardly anyone around.”

“Fine,” giggles the demon, “but you have to wait outside. I’m not risking any mess with other customers today.”

Zeren walks inside, thankful for the almost empty shop. He places his order and sits down by the counter and pulls out his phone to scroll through Instagram.

After five minutes of waiting, his phone buzzes twice. _Surprised it took you this long, Ting._

**[ (2) messages from ZZT ]**

**_[9:13]_ **

**_ZZT:_ ** _should I thank Yanchen for helping me meet Xukun’s kids?_

**_[9:13]_ **

**_DZR:_ ** _don’t make me drop kick u_

**_[9:14]_ **

**_ZZT:_ ** _;)_

As he closes his phone, Zeren looks up to the window to see Yanchen on the other side, pulling ridiculous faces at him. He rolls his eyes, chuckling as he collects his order from the bewildered server girl.

“See,” Yanchen smiles confidently as Zeren exits the shop. “She didn’t notice a thing.”

“Luckily for you,” retorts Zeren. He links his arm through the vampire’s and tugs him down the path to the beach. “I’m so hungry.”

“Zeren, you’re actually shivering even with that jacket on,” Yanchen worries, pulling the demon closer to him. “It’s freezing here during the day, why would you want to come here at night when it’s even colder?”

“Because,” Zeren wriggles his brows, “I want you to give me your jacket.”

Yanchen stares. “Or… I can simply turn my body heat up for you.”

“The jacket is more romantic though.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

In the end, Yanchen gives the demon his jacket and turns his body temperature up. Zeren munches through his HSP happily as Yanchen sips his blood beside him, the two comfortably discussing the events over the past few days since they last saw each other.

An hour passes by, and Zeren sucks in a breath, sensing the next question coming to be the one he’d been tiptoeing around all evening.

“Zeren, why was Zhengting with Chengcheng and Justin this evening?”

“I don’t know.”

“You think I don’t know you were the one who told Zhengting about Chengcheng’s McDonald’s obsession?” Yanchen screws the lid back onto his flask and tucks it into his pocket once more, tilting his head questioningly. “Xukun doesn’t even have anything at the apartment to hide from Zhengting, I don’t understand why he needed to even meet the boys.”

Zeren remains silent.

“What is it that Zhengting wants with Xukun?”

“It’s personal.”

Yanchen gets to his feet, feeling the urge to pace up and down the sand. “Where do your loyalties lie, Zeren? I get that demons aren’t the most trustworthy beings around but come on, you’ve known Xukun what, one hundred years? Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

It’s the moment Zeren’s eyes turn ice cold that Yanchen realises he pushed too far. “My loyalties,” hisses the demon, standing at lightning speed and grabbing the lapels of the vampire’s coat, “lie with the people who have given me a home these past two years, more explicitly to the _faerie_ who has never abandoned me _under any circumstances_.”

“Zhengting is a _game player_ , Ren,” Yanchen says forcefully. “It’s just the nature of the Fae! He uses people to get what he wants and _we both know_ that Zhengting is trying to get closer to Xukun- maybe I don’t know why yet, but if he harms Xukun-“

“If Xukun hasn’t done anything wrong then he should have nothing to worry about!” Snaps Zeren, kicking the sand angrily. He drops to the ground and begins to cry. “Xukun pushed me away as soon as you _finally_ \- after _years_ of being in love with you- started to reciprocate feelings for me. I know you’re his best friend and maybe he finds it weird, and I know I can be a bit much at times, fuck, I can be so loud and lazy I _know_ , but it was just a relationship-“

“You think this was over me?” Yanchen raises his eyebrows in disbelief. “Things were happening that Xukun couldn’t control, still _are_ happening, he just wanted you to think he didn’t care so you’d think he hated you and you’d _want_ to distance yourself from him, because he couldn’t tell you what was happening without endangering your life!”

“He could’ve found a way!” Zeren shouts, a sob hitching in his throat. “He didn’t have to cut me off! That’s so stupid, when he could’ve just told me something was wrong. I would have understood! If he could still see you, see Ziyi-“

“Ziyi hasn’t been with us either!” Yanchen feels his voice rising and tries to calm himself down, hating the tears streaming down the demon’s face. He slowly lowers himself onto the sand beside Zeren, softening his tone. “Ziyi only just came back to help Xukun. We only found him two weeks before I saw you again. Xukun just didn’t trust that you would really stay away from us if you knew we were in danger, and I think you know that he was right, you wouldn’t have.”

Silence falls between them, and for a moment all they can hear is the ocean waves rolling onto the sand and the wind whipping somewhat violently around them, the distant screeching of car tyres from the road up the hill.

“I guess that makes a little more sense,” Zeren sniffles, reaching for Yanchen’s hand. “I just felt so alone and miserable, and between not seeing you and Kun and Ziyi and the shit going on back in my literal home of Hell I just couldn’t do it anymore. So I left. When I felt so exhausted with thoughts of Xukun hating me and wondering why you wouldn’t see me anymore, Zhengting found me- and he’s been with me ever since. I owe him so much.”

“Xukun has always cared about you, no matter how annoying you are,” Yanchen protests. “You’ve been at each other’s throats since you first met. There’s no way he would ever hate you. As for Zhengting, you yourself have admitted that he is literally using Xukun for whatever this agenda of his is.”

Zeren shakes his head, scrunching his nose up to stop himself from crying any more than he already has. “I know it’s hard for you to understand right now, but Zhengting is doing what he has to after someone took everything away from him. He’s my best friend, and even if you don’t like him, I’m going to support him.”

“Can’t you just tell me what it is you’re supporting?”

“It isn’t my story to tell,” Zeren shakes his head. “If- no, when- he trusts you, he will tell you. Just please, please be kinder to him. And trust _me_. I know who Zhengting is. I’m not getting us into anything I can’t handle.”

Yanchen sighs and wraps his arms around the tiny demon. “I won’t ask you anymore questions, but… the same stands for me. I won’t let anything happen to you, trust me on that. Just understand that for now Xukun trusts me with his safety, so even if I can’t fully trust Zhengting, I will be a little nicer-only for you, though.”

“Hmph.”

“Zeren, baby.” Yanchen murmurs gently, wiping away the demon’s lingering tears. “I’m so, so sorry. For everything.”

“Me too.”

The vampire ruffles Zeren’s hair and laughs quietly. “Speaking of Xukun, there’s honestly nothing quite so funny as when he tries to keep a straight face whenever you’re around. I can almost hear him gagging.”

Zeren turns his face up towards the vampire, smiling cheekily despite the tear tracks still visible on his cheeks. “And when are you finally going to tell Xukun to find a new bodyguard and become mine instead, hmm?”

“Someday soon.” Yanchen pulls Zeren into his lap and kisses him on the forehead, wishing they could stay safe and together for much longer than he would normally dare to hope for. “I promise.”

******

_“Zhengting, is it? Zhu Zhengting?”_

_Zhengting sniffles, shoulders hunching, closing in on himself. “Y-yes,” he whispers, barely audible, and Ruibin thinks that if he wasn’t an elf he might not have been able to hear his answer at all._

_He’s shaking so much that Ruibin can’t bear it, so he takes his long coat off and wraps it around the faerie’s shoulders, buttoning the top button to ensure it doesn’t slide off. He then prepares to leave the room, expecting an officer or investigator of some kind to come and interview Zhengting soon._

_“Stay with me.”_

_Ruibin turns around, hand resting on the doorknob._

_The faerie watches him with big, tear filled eyes, looking so small and frail with his legs pulled up to his chin on the chair, Ruibin’s coat almost swallowing him up. “Please.”_

_“Okay.” He walks back to Zhengting and crouches down in front of him, allowing the faerie to take and hold onto his hand. Zhengting looks exhausted, eyelids fluttering as he struggles to focus._

_“Don’t leave me.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, if u want to check out the character thread for this fic its my pinned on @yanjunslut x ,,, also if you're reading off your phone the texts may look odd but imma leave them that way hahaha


	5. These Wicked Games We Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a lot of backstories + xukun is addicted to playing with things he shouldn't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) im australian, so the school system i have in this reflects what i know, in case its confusing for anyone
> 
> 2) speaking of confusing, i really struggled with the tense in certain sections of this chapter, wanting to emphasise looking back on things but then bringing the present tense in where it seemed appropriate to the story, so i apologise if some of u guys dont fuck with that lmao

“Zi- Ziyi! Wait up!”

Ziyi spins on his heel from twenty or so metres ahead, easy grin on his face. “You gotta come to me, lil bro!”

Justin pants, pulling out his phone. _5:25 am_. “It’s too early for this shit!”

The elder laughs and runs a little faster, dousing himself with his water bottle. He zips around the park’s running track at a speed much too fast for any human, but having been up at this hour every day for the past few weeks, Ziyi is confident he isn’t going to run into anyone. Barring that, he figures it more likely that he’d hear any humans or see them in the dark morning sky before they see him.

Justin slows down to a jog as the older werewolf veers off the track and heads towards the clearing of trees in the forest behind the park, disappearing into the shrubbery, wondering why Ziyi seemed to think this much exercise right after sleeping was enjoyable.

Personally, Ziyi had always loved exercise of any kind, enjoying the competition without being overly competitive himself. He also wasn’t ashamed of how satisfied he was with the results of attending gym frequently, despite Yanchen’s constant teasing.

Ziyi had suggested that Justin accompany him on his morning runs during the very first week he began living at the apartment, after the third day Justin returned home from school with a note in his diary about being disruptive in class. He figured a run so early would tire Justin out a little and curb his energy enough to make him at least slightly less insane for the teachers to deal with.

Xukun- to Yanchen’s disgust- had neglected to mention Justin’s werewolf scent before dragging them all to live in the apartment with little other knowledge about the two boys, but Ziyi had been surprised to discover that the boy seemed to have almost no understanding for what happened to him and had no memory of the full moons in the first few months after he was bitten. Ziyi figured that Chengcheng must have helped him out, but it wasn’t something Justin seemed overly concerned with looking into.

As Justin opened up to him on their morning runs, Ziyi had begun to feel rather protective over the younger male. He learned that Justin had always had a tough childhood, raised by a single mother who was constantly drinking or not even in the house. Nine months ago, when Justin was out in the woods on a dare with some of the boys on his football team, he had become separated from all of them and was attacked and bitten, most of it a blur now.

Erratic and more hyper than usual after that night, his mother had thought Justin had ADHD or had somehow managed to get his hands on drugs, and one night on a drunken rampage told him that she didn’t want to deal with him anymore and was to get out of the house immediately.

Ziyi stops midway up the forest hill, peering through the trees at Justin who had finally entered the woods. He motions towards the top of the hill, meaning for Justin to follow him up at his own pace. “You’re doing great, kid!”

Justin grins and sends him two thumbs up, and Ziyi stretches a little before continuing upwards, enjoying the cool morning breeze against his skin.

******

“AAAAAAHHH!”

Justin watches as the birds above him in the trees turn into a mass fluttering of wings, disturbed by his screaming. He doesn’t care, finding yelling in the woods alone in the early morning rather therapeutic.

“Why can’t Chengcheng come out with us,” he grumbles aloud, knowing full well Chengcheng wouldn’t even walk past the park track. He sighs and sets off again at a jog, avoiding sticks and low branches as best he can.

No matter how much he complains about the older boy, Justin knows Chengcheng to be his lifeboat. He’s useless at the best of times and always steals one too many of Justin’s chips during school lunch orders, but he’s the only consistent figure Justin has had in his life growing up, the one person he has always been able to count on.

The two first met at age five on the first day of school and instantly came friends- and went home with matching notes from the teacher about “disturbing the class.” Nine years of mischief, overeating and detentions followed until Chengcheng’s parents withdrew him from school to live overseas as their family business expanded, leaving Justin feeling rather alone.

Before Chengcheng left, he and Justin had befriended Linong when he arrived to start high school with Chengcheng, and even though Justin was only in Year 5 while the older two were ‘grown up high-schoolers’ in Year 7, it had never affected their friendship in any way. The two had kept in contact during Chengcheng’s two years abroad, hanging out with their other friends in the meantime, but something had felt a little off.

Surprising everyone, Chengcheng’s parents agreed to let him return to his hometown to finish his final two years at school with a host family- and he had done so, until Justin’s mother threw him out and Chengcheng left his nice living circumstances to bring Justin with him to secretly rent an apartment under his family’s name, (given he was not yet eighteen and thus unable to book it in his own name). He figured the apartment block was shady enough not to ask for further information and he was right: the landlord never once questioning two young boys living alone.

Come to think of it, the landlord hadn’t asked about the new adults inhabiting the place either… amazing what money can do.

Money had posed the biggest problem for the boys living together. The allowance Chengcheng’s family had given him was more than enough for two years of living with another family, but upon moving out six months ago the rent had quickly drained it within the first four months, and he daren’t ask for more lest he risk questions about what exactly he had spent it on. (He knew they would suspect food, albeit an excessive amount.)

Chengcheng, by some miracle, had managed to get a job at his favourite place in the world, McDonalds… and strangely still wasn’t sick of it. Nowadays, Justin is uncomfortably aware of the fact that once Chengcheng starts university next year he will have to get a job to help out, but he is content to enjoy his freedom until then.

Justin is pulled out of his thoughts as he reaches a clearing close to the top of the hill and pauses to catch his breath. _No Ziyi in sight_ , he thinks, trudging up the makeshift path. _I swear one day he’s going to leave me here for a murderer to get me._

“HELP.”

Justin freezes. _This is it, today’s the day_. He wishes Chengcheng were with him, only to remember that the older boy would probably just die rather than fight for his life.

 _Useless_ , Justin thinks, shaking his head and moving behind a pine tree, clinging to a lower branch while trying to lean around to look it in the direction of the scream.

“I told you to make sure you definitely wouldn’t drop me! I’m not even that heavy!”

_Hmm. Sounds familiar._

Stepping out from the safety of his tree, Justin sees two figures at about ten metres ahead of him, crumpled in a heap beneath a massive oak tree. The taller figure stands up first, clutching a wicker basket to his chest. “How was I to know there was a stupid pinecone at my feet?”

“Nongnong?”

The tall boy whips around, startled, his basket pitching forward and sending toadstools, berries and some type of nuts tumbling to the forest floor. Beside him, Zhangjing groans, still on the ground. He begins to hastily gather it all up again. “Now I can’t even avoid you and your loud mouth in the woods at six am, I see,” the sorcerer grumbles. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for my friend,” Justin replies, getting down to help the other two. He picks up a toadstool. “What the hell do you need this for?”

Linong swipes the toadstool from Justin’s hand and chucks it into the basket.

“Careful with that!”

“Calm down, Zhangjing,” says Linong with a sigh. He brushes some berries into his hand, plucking out pine needles and flicking away excess dirt before tipping them back into the basket. “It’s for a science experiment.”

“Then why isn’t Chengcheng doing this too?”

“Uhh…”

“Because he’s in advanced science classes,” offers Zhangjing.

Justin crows loudly. “Chengcheng’s way too dumb for that! You’re lying, both of you. What are you really doing?”

Linong exchanges a confused glance with Zhangjing, but before he can reply, a shout sounds out from up the hill where Ziyi appears, careful not to slip as he jogs down towards them. “Bro,” he puffs, hands on his knees as he catches his breath, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Zhangjing whistles in approval. “Who’s your hot friend?”

Ziyi smiles awkwardly.

“One of mine and Chengcheng’s new roommates,” says Justin proudly. “Ziyi, this is Nongnong and the short one is Zhangjing.”

“Don’t make me beat your ass, Huang Minghao.”

Justin pokes out his tongue. “As if you could.”

“Hi, Zhangjing,” Ziyi smiles, holding out his hand to shake Zhangjing’s before the smaller man can rip Justin’s head off.

Linong smiles at him gratefully.

“Well, it was nice meeting you both but we have to go back home so Justin can get ready for the school bus.” Ziyi checks his watch. “We’re already late actually.”

“We could just skip class.”

Zhangjing rolls his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Nongnong already has his uniform on anyway.”

Justin sighs. “Worth a shot.”

“See you soon,” Linong waves cheerfully as Ziyi smiles before taking off back in the direction of the park.

Justin jogs backwards after Ziyi, waving goodbye to Linong and Zhangjing until they’re out of sight. Once back on the park track, Ziyi slows down for the younger boy to catch up, laughing at Justin’s exaggerated huffing and puffing.

“You didn’t tell me you were friends with sorcerers,” Ziyi says curiously as Justin pulls up beside him. “I didn’t know you hung out with other supernaturals at all actually. Who else are you hanging out with?”

Ziyi stops when he realises the younger werewolf is no longer beside him. “Justin?”

He turns around to see Justin breathing heavily on the track, standing still with a pained expression on his face.

“Kid?”

“Sorry I just needed a break. I’ve got a stitch,” he groans, stretching. “What were you saying about supernaturals?”

“Nongnong and Zhangjing,” Ziyi nods at the forest. “How long have you known them?”

Justin looks confused.

Ziyi tries again. “The guys in the forest? Hello?”

“Zhangjing is Nongnong’s tutor and Nongnong is Chengcheng’s tutor,” Justin says, reaching down to touch his toes and then straightening to reach upwards again. 

“Are there are other supernaturals at your school?”

Justin laughs. “They’re not supernatural. Where’d you get that idea?”

Ziyi looks at him blankly.

“What?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Huh?”

“Oh my god,” Ziyi begins running again, Justin scrambling after him.

“Ziyi, what do you mean?”

Ziyi says nothing as he runs all the way to the pedestrian crossing across the street from their apartment and waits for Justin to reach him, gazing up at the window of Chengcheng and Justin’s shared room, the only one visible from the street. It’s lighter now, too light for Yanchen and Xukun to be awake, which was just fine with Ziyi, who preferred to avoid Yanchen’s morning temper as well as he could.

The light in Chengcheng’s room is on, to Ziyi’s relief, knowing he doesn’t have time to wrestle the younger boy up to get ready this morning. Ziyi realises he hasn’t had to wake Chengcheng at all recently, and he’d been less demanding with his food. The werewolf stares up at the window as he waits, wondering if everything was alright at school and making a mental note to talk to Chengcheng later.

“You were saying?”

Justin arrives and they cross the road together, Ziyi splashing his water over the two of them to cool them both down. “I leave you alone to contemplate the last part of our conversation and you don’t even get it,” sighs Ziyi, opening the apartment block’s foyer door.

“Why are you talking to me like I’m stupid?”

They hop into the elevator.

“I’m just surprised,” Ziyi smiles. “Did you really not know Zhangjing and Linong were sorcerers?”

The doors close, leaving Ziyi to laugh at Justin’s dumbfounded expression in the distorted reflection of the silver elevator walls.

“Wait, what.”

******

“Nongnong! Hey!”

Linong glances up from gathering his books and pens, having finished the homework he’d been working on in the café since school let out. Mimi stands before him, sanitiser and washcloth in one hand and a stack of plates balanced on the other. “Just getting ready to go,” he smiles, placing his empty plate on the pile. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering…”

Mimi trails off, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Linong’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “You were wondering…?”

“Well,” Mimi twirls a strand of hair round her finger, avoiding eye contact. “I was just wondering if you’d like to come to this concert next week. To see me. Sing, that is. I’m performing in a concert.”

Linong smiles brightly, laughing a little at her stunted sentences.

“You don’t have to,” she adds hastily, “I’m sure you’re busy.”

Mimi studies Linong anxiously as he finishes packing his bag. He stands and pushes the chair in at the table, causing Mimi to jump back a step when he’s right in front of her, as always feeling light-headed at their height difference. “I swear you’ve grown taller again, Nongnong.”

“Mimi.”

Her eyes widen. “Yes?”

“Your concert.”

“Yeah?”

He pulls his bag onto his back and laughs again. “Don’t look so stressed,” he replies, moving towards the door. The sign has already been flipped to read ‘closed’. Linong had never stayed past closing before, but he’d been staying later and later these days, and Mimi wonders if it will happen more often in the future. _At least I hope so_ , she thinks, setting the dishes down on the table to follow him.

Linong steps through the door and turns around, closing it halfway and leaning through the gap, still towering over her even while standing below the doorstep on the footpath outside. The sunset casts a glow over him, illuminating his sunny smile and causing Mimi’s heart to thump rapidly.

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

******

Xukun isn’t stupid.

Well, he liked to think so at least, even if Yanchen believed otherwise.

No matter Yanchen’s thoughts on Zhengting.

Beautiful, funny, sweet, untrustworthy Zhengting.

The Zhengting he tells everything to except everything that matters, the Zhengting who tells everything to him but holds back the details that prevent Xukun from truly knowing what the story is that the faerie is telling him. Their entire relationship is laced with lies and suspicion, neither of them caving and challenging the other, not wanting the illusion of their perfect relationship to shatter until the very last moment, not until it absolutely has to.

Xukun thinks of the game he and Zhengting are locked in, tiptoeing around each other on dates and through text messages, neither of them prepared to show their hand. Zhengting wants something from him- he has since they first met- and yet Xukun can’t quite figure out what. He doesn’t even know how much Zhengting knows about him.

He must know a little at least, being Zeren’s best friend. Zeren could never keep his mouth shut when they were close, and Xukun is doubtful that that has changed in recent years. Although he is fairly confident that Zeren would not have told Zhengting something so important as the fact that Xukun is a vampire, and a prince at that, Xukun is certain that Zhengting knows it anyway. The faerie had too much magic and too many connections to be fooled by a glamour, no matter how powerful.

Now that he thinks of it, Xukun greatly misses Zeren’s friendship. So much. He is sure Yanchen has explained at least a bit of why Xukun distanced himself from the demon, but he owes it to Zeren to personally tell him what happened… and apologise. For all he and Zeren fought in the past, the demon was also one of his closest friends, and he thinks back to what caused him to push Zeren away in the first place.

_It was a rush, dangerously thrilling. Their games had become more intense, more vicious and violent, so much so that Xukun had gone from seeing his friends less and less to simply removing them completely from his life, knowing neither Zeren nor Ziyi to be cut out to survive the game if they were so challenged._

_It was equal parts selfish and wanting to focus all his attention on the ever lifting stakes on their figurative chessboard. He understood that one wrong move could cost his friends’ lives, but deep down he was hardly paying attention to them anyway. Only Yanchen remained by his side, and that was simply because he was his bodyguard, and a vampire on par with their magic._

_It was a party that tipped the competition into its darkest level._

_The biggest party to be hosted by vampire royalty: a massive celebration, a birthday- and an unexpected, sadistic challenge intended as twisted gift from the most important person in his life._

_Xukun was lazy, uninterested in the level of power desired by his partner, and carelessly dismissed the offer at hand._

_“Couldn’t think of anything better for my birthday, darling?”_

_Big mistake. And he knew it, as soon as the words left his mouth._

_He had rejected the wrong vampire: his creator. Publicly, disrespectfully. Someone he loved, who he had believed had loved him, but not enough to let him go. He didn’t fully register in that moment just how high he had unwittingly upped the stakes of the game._

_The night after, Xukun awakes to find the throats of his human servants and that of every feeder in the palace slashed, the bodies strewn carelessly through the rooms. He walks through every room, viewing the damage, and snarls when he enters the main ballroom to find his favourite feeder dangling from the largest chandelier, pretty orange curls caught in the crystals. It was strangely beautiful, and he would’ve given points for decoration had he not been mad at the loss of his feeder- and in fear of losing his own life, or whatever he had left of it._

_“Xukun, we have to go.”_

_Xukun looks at Yanchen incredulously, unfamiliar with the terrified expression that now replaced his permanent dazzling smile. He doesn’t like seeing this Yanchen, doesn’t like this situation at all. “This is my home,” he says stubbornly, jutting out his lower lip. “I’m not going anywhere.”_

_Yanchen sets his jaw. “I’m not fucking around here, Xukun. This isn’t one of your usual stupid games. This is different. If you don’t leave, we will both be killed, and there’s no life waiting for us after this one so I suggest you come with me **right now**.” _

_The older vampire’s unspoken threat hangs in the air: if you don’t leave, I die with you._

_He hisses, knowing that Yanchen knows he would never let him die. “Fine, let me grab some things.”_

_“No time for that,” Yanchen grabs his arm and begins running towards the side staircase, the one rarely used. “Ziyi is waiting for us at the back entrance. He has a car.”_

_“Oh, Ziyi can drive now?” Xukun says snarkily as they exit the palace through the servants’ quarters, seeing a sports car in the driveway with the engine running. “How fancy.”_

_Ziyi leans out the window, offering a wave and making no comment on Xukun’s snide remarks._

_“Thank you so much,” Yanchen gasps as he hurls himself into the passenger seat. “Fucking floor it, I don’t wanna run into-“_

_“Do you have to be so paranoid?” Xukun rolls his eyes from the backseat. “Fucking calm down.”_

_“Did you not see your fucking feeder hanging from the rutting chandelier, Xukun?”_

_“We’d be fine,” insists Xukun. “It’s always fine.”_

_Ziyi says nothing as he drives faster down the driveway, nearly on the main road, and Xukun doesn’t know what Yanchen has told him, but he’s grateful the werewolf came for him. Even though he’s too proud to show it._

_“If you really think everything is going to be ‘fine’,” Yanchen says stonily, “then you’re fucking delusional.”_

Xukun rolls over and sits up, sifting a hand through his hair. He glances at Yanchen in the bed across the room, still fast asleep, then picks up his phone. Seven pm. _I wasted another hour just lying in bed. Again. My laziness has really peaked lately, huh._

He climbs out of bed quietly so as not to disturb Yanchen, not in the mood to risk being on the receiving end of the older vampire’s tirade of abuse. He pushes the door open and slips out, walking to the bathroom for a shower while flicking through his texts. Six from Zhengting, and a missed call.

Xukun wonders whether the faerie will ever get used to the vampire’s sleeping schedule. Probably not. It seemed that Zhengting was unaccustomed to things not simply working in his favour.

And honestly, regardless of whatever games Zhengting was playing, Xukun found it to be all part of the faerie’s charm.

******

It’s later than usual when Yanchen finally wakes up, almost eight o’clock. He comes out of his room more subdued than he normally is post-sleeping, the usually rude attitude replaced with a quieter, thoughtful Yanchen.

He wanders into the kitchen and takes a blood bag from the fridge, sitting at the counter to sip it in silence.

When he stands to get a new bag, still hungry after downing the first one, Justin exits his room with a soft goodbye to Chengcheng, his gym bag slung over one shoulder and a pillow under his arm.

“Hey, Justin.”

“Oh, hey,” Justin smiles brightly, seeming pleasantly surprised at the vampire’s lack of aggression.

Yanchen wishes he could cut back on his attitude sometimes; he didn’t necessarily want the younger boys to be afraid of him, and he actually had started to find the place empty when they weren’t around. He decides to make more of an effort to be nicer in the future.

“Where are you headed this late at night?”

Justin glances down at his pillow. “Only Quanzhe’s place,” he reassures the vampire. “Chengcheng asked if he could have the room to himself tonight.”

“Quanzhe is in this building, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, two floors below us.” Justin grins. “I won’t get kidnapped, if that’s what you’re hoping for.”

Yanchen laughs. “It isn’t.” He lowers his voice. “Is Chengcheng okay? Does he want any food or anything?”

Justin’s grin falters a little. “No- I don’t think so. He hasn’t eaten heaps lately. I think he wants to look at exam content or something.”

“Hmm.”

“Well, I’m going to go now, so I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Wait.”

Justin pauses, halfway out the door.

“Has Zhengting contacted you lately?”

“Not since yesterday,” Justin says, leaning against the doorframe. “He brought over some McDonalds for Chengcheng. I think he’s worried about him too.”

Yanchen narrows his eyes. “You’re still being careful around Zhengting, right?”

Justin bites his lip. “Yanchen, is there something you guys aren’t telling us about him? I don’t want to push, but if there’s genuinely something dangerous about him I think we have the right to know. I need to keep Chengcheng safe, you know?”

The vampire finds himself a little taken aback by the young werewolf’s out-of-character seriousness, and is a little touched by his protectiveness towards Chengcheng. He sighs. “Truthfully, I have nothing concrete. I just want everyone to be cautious until I figure out some things. Can you trust me on that?”

Justin nods. “I just really like Zhengting. He stops by and brings us food and even took us out to the cinema the other day. And he texts to check up on us every day when he can’t see us. He kind of does all the things for me that I always hoped my mum would do.”

Yanchen feels his heartstrings tug at the tears the werewolf blinks away, clearly hoping the vampire didn’t notice. “I’m sure he’s a good person,” Yanchen says softly. “I’m just a cautious person and want to keep us all safe.”

Justin smiles in gratitude. “I better go for real now,” he laughs quietly. “It was nice talking to you, Yanchen.”

“You too,” Yanchen whispers as Justin closes the door normally instead of slamming it for once. “Have fun, kid.”

******

Chengcheng paces up and down his room, pulling his phone out every few seconds to check the time. 11:59. “Okay. Okay.”

He throws himself in the black leather armchair at his desk and switches his laptop on. The chair was one of the last things he’d been able to buy for himself before his family allowance ran out in order to keep up with their rental payments. Chengcheng didn’t begrudge Justin one bit for any of it- he’d do anything for him- but he was grateful that the younger boy had volunteered to go to Quanzhe’s house tonight. It wasn’t often that he was alone, or even wanted to be; he is more than used to being surrounded by noise and chatter from Justin alone, and Chengcheng himself is extremely loud too.

Tonight is different. Months of study and hard work had passed, the past two years being the most effort Chengcheng had put into anything he’d ever done. Sometimes he can’t believe he hasn’t given up halfway through, like he has on pretty much anything else he’s ever done. Between his job at McDonalds and the time taken up studying, Chengcheng feels as though his brain is about to burst just thinking about it.

Stress has never been something he’s every really visibly shown. It isn’t that he necessarily wants to or doesn’t want to talk about it, there’s just never any time. Or even if there is time, Chengcheng doesn’t want to ruin the mood, or bother anyone. School will be over in a few months, all his final exams done, and then he can go back to regular eating, instead of stress eating. Not that anyone around him notices the difference as he’s always eaten so much, but it feels different to him at least.

Right now, he’s more stressed than ever. Too stressed to sleep. Too stressed to eat. Chengcheng hadn’t thought it possible, but all he can do is stare unflinchingly at the screen, bag of chips unopened on his desk, completely and totally focused on the next few seconds to come. He takes a deep breath and clicks on his name, anxious and lightheaded.

The screen loads all too quickly, and he bursts into tears.

******

_Wenjun snaps awake so fast his neck cracks, unfocused and blinking and rubbing his jaw as he tries to make sense of his whereabouts. Candles placed in ornate golden candelabras flicker before him, a blur of orange until his vision clears. He’s seated in the middle of a table set for twelve, china plates, silvery cutlery and champagne and wine glasses sparkling along a purple silk tablecloth. It’s cold, icy; Wenjun spies an elaborate, unused fireplace in the centre of the wall at the back of the room and stands to go and light it._

_“Ow!”_

_The table rattles as he falls against it, palms slamming down and disturbing the meticulously arranged dishes with a clatter. “What the fuck-“_

_Wenjun shakes his left leg, for the first time feeling a weight upon it, and bends to look under the table. A silver chain around his ankle shackles him to the floor, and he begins to kick and tug at it for a few minutes to no avail._

_“Shit,” curses Wenjun, collapsing back into his chair. He runs a hand through his hair, beginning to panic. “What do you want?!”_

_No answer._

_He grabs a plate and hurls it against the wall, watching as it shatters and scatters all over the deep red carpet. “Who are you?!” His head begins to pound as he yells louder. “WHERE IS ZHENGTING?”_

_Seconds pass, minutes- perhaps an hour or so, Wenjun can’t tell, alternating between thoughts of Zhengting and screaming himself hoarse, ankle aching from the chain digging in with every frantic movement, when a voice rings out through the room._

_“Darling, do calm down, you’ll knock the candelabra and I really don’t have the patience to deal with a house fire right now.”_

_Wenjun freezes, panting loudly as he glances frantically around the room for the new voice present._

_“Right here, my love.”_

_A rush of wind and slight rustle of the tablecloth and a figure is suddenly in front of Wenjun, a hand cupping his chin, the other tapping the table. He watches with calculated interest as Wenjun assesses him, taking in the lightly curled, flame red hair, a black velvet blazer and high-collared lace shirt. Wenjun can’t tell whether he’s smiling or smirking, pointed teeth- fangs- poking into deceivingly cute, soft pink lips, a brow raised as though he find’s Wenjun’s fear amusing. He probably does, Wenjun thinks, digging his nails into his palm trying to calm himself down. “You’ve made quite a mess in here,” he says coolly, surveying the table, brow arching gracefully higher._

_Wenjun glares, silent._

_“Huang Xinchun.” The vampire extends a pretty hand, long lace sleeves covering extending down to showcase a silver ring set with blue stones, mirroring the same one Wenjun wears._

_Wenjun slaps his hand away._

_“Is that my Zhengting’s ring on your finger?” Wenjun’s voice rises in pitch, terror coursing through him. He slams a hand on the table, cutlery clattering. “What have you done with Zhengting?”_

_Xinchun raises his hand to eye level, admiring the ring. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”_

_Tears of panic begin to well up in Wenjun’s eyes as he stares at the ring, eyes flicking back up to the vampire’s terrifyingly relaxed expression. His voice drops to a whisper. “Is he dead?”_

_Silence fills the room for a moment, the only movement being the flickering of the flames. They’re orange and bright, almost hypnotising. Wenjun pulls his gaze away from them to meet the vampire’s dark eyes trained on him, sensing something…. off.  An involuntary shudder wracks through his body._

_“Oh darling,” Xinchun smiles widely, “the only one dead here is you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, a yanjun ult: mentions him (0) times in a chapter for the second time now. im a fake. 
> 
> pls comment or hmu on twt, i enjoy hearing what the (5) people reading this have to say ehehe x


	6. Inconvenient Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zhangjing's inner tug of war with his Yanjun Problem is back on his mind... although it kind of always is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if it seems like a filler chapter that's because its a little bit shorter than the last few ,, it’s more of a part 1 to the next chapter hehe

_ZZT: are you still coming tonight, kunkun? xx_

_CXK: of course baby. 9 pm?_

_ZZT: don’t be late ;) ilu xx_

_CXK: x_

******

School on Fridays was always a shorter day for Linong, given that he only had two free periods at the end of the day and could leave straight after lunch. Like any other Friday, today he finds himself at Mrs Li’s bakery with Zhangjing after collecting orders and delivering spells around town, talking together while the small sorcerer eats whatever extra food Mrs Li has given him in return for his help with spells for Quanzhe’s health.

The two of them sit at the single outdoor table as they wait for the younger boys to show up. School technically finished at three pm, but it was a rare day that the boys ever left on time, one of them usually forgetting something (Chengcheng) or having to stay back and talk to the teacher about messing around in class (Justin).

Zhangjing doodles on a page inside their orders diary in between bites of his pastry. “Zhengting’s asked me to go out to a club with him and some of his friends. Yanjun too.”

“Yanjun, huh?” Linong’s eyes sparkle. “Also, I still find it odd that Zhengting knows Chengcheng and Justin now. What is up with that?”

Zhangjing sighs. “What is ever ‘up’ with anything Zhengting does? I can’t for the life of me figure out why anyone would willingly hang out with those _idiots_ -“

“You mean my best friends?”

“Your mistake,” the small sorcerer sniffs. “I don’t really want to go out. Zhengting will no doubt ditch me for whoever he has looped around his finger at the moment… although I wonder if that hot friend of Justin’s will be there-“

“Just hang out with Yanjun!”

“I’d rather die. He’s plotting something, I know it.”

“Are we really having this conversation again? I swear you talk far more about how much you hate Yanjun than he ever even mentions you.”

“Rude.” Zhangjing folds his arms. “But that makes sense. He only cares about himself. It’s a siren thing.”

“That’s not true,” disagrees Linong. “Yanjun has been nothing but nice to us and I don’t get what your problem with him is.”

“Everything sirens do is for personal gain and that is all,” Zhangjing says with an air of finality. He closes the diary with a snap and tucks it into his bag carefully. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

Linong creases his eyebrows in annoyance. “You always tell me I don’t understand things when it’s something we disagree on. For once can’t you just humour me a little?”

A woman and her little daughters exit the bakery and the two quiet down for a moment until they’re out of hearing range.

“You haven’t dealt with sirens before.”

“You haven’t dealt with _Yanjun_ before.” Linong picks up his backpack and hoists it onto one shoulder. After a beat he pulls the second strap on too, not wanting Quanzhe to have a fit again over people wearing the bag improperly. “He hasn’t done anything wrong yet. At least wait until you have an actual reason- and not just that he happens to be a siren- before telling him to ‘choke in a ditch’.”

“I never said that.”

Linong throws the shorter sorcerer a Look.

“Ugh, so what if I did? I’m being cautious and I have every right to be.”

“I’m glad that you are looking out for us,” Linong says in a softer tone, “but just this once, let go of your fear of outsiders. Yanjun is a really fun person. It can’t just be me and you forever with the occasional hang out with my friends or having coffee with Zhengting when you get a delivery for him. You need more friends, at least a couple.”

“I’m fine as is,” Zhangjing says stubbornly, sticking out his lower lip. “Speaking of Zhengting, did you make the hangover tonic he asked for the other day?

Linong claps his hands together gleefully. “So you are going out tonight!”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself-“

“Ugh, I can’t believe I singlehandedly convinced You Zhangjing to go clubbing. I really am the greatest sorcerer of our time.”

Zhangjing smacks the younger boy on the head. “There’s always time for me to take it back,” he threatens.

Linong throws his head back in laughter. “But you won’t,” he chortles. “You wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to change your schedule that quickly.”

A chorus of yelling sounds from across the street where Quanzhe waits impatiently to cross the road, Justin and Chengcheng fighting over something behind him. Zhangjing waves at Quanzhe, trying not to laugh at the ever-present look of stress upon his chubby face. “I’m going to go now.”

“I’m going to Mimi’s concert with Yanjun in a few hours,” Linong says cheekily. “I’ll make sure we don’t have too good a time so he isn’t dead tired for when y’all hit the club later.”

Zhangjing bares his teeth at the younger boy, running backwards across the pedestrian crossing as the light goes green. “If I wasn’t running for this bus I’d come back and beat you senseless, Chen Linong!”

******

“My mum finally hired someone to help out,” Quanzhe says, pushing open the door to his mother’s bakery as Linong meets up with them. “He’s a kid from school, you know Zhenghao? He’s in my year.”

Justin, Chengcheng and Linong pile into the shop behind Quanzhe, all of them heading towards their favourite table in the left corner by the window except for Chengcheng, who informed them that his stomach could not wait any longer despite Justin reminding him they had eaten no less than thirty minutes ago in last period.

“Snacks eaten in class don’t count as meals because we aren’t allowed to be eating then,” Chengcheng argues across the room from the line of customers. The lady behind him stares in confusion.

“If you ate it then you ATE it!”

“Shut up,” Quanzhe hisses, wondering why he puts up with the two embarrassing him in his family’s own shop. “Anyway, back to me. I was so worried that if mum didn’t find someone she’d force _me_ to help out and I’m just not cut out for the working life.”

“You’ll have to work someday,” Linong says, bemused.

Quanzhe scrunches his nose. “But today is not that day.” He pushes his chair back and stands up. “I can smell vanilla slice so… I’ll be back.”

“Can you get me some?” Justin calls after him.

Quanzhe says nothing and skips past the line and behind the counter, sneaking over to collect some slice from his mother before she puts it out for sale.

“What are friends for?” Justin mutters sarcastically. He brightens up. “Are you getting anything to eat, Nongnong?”

“Not now.”

Justin appears crestfallen.

“Quit pouting, you mess,” laughs Linong, flicking the younger boy’s forehead. “I’m going out for dinner later with Mimi and her parents so I don’t want to be full before then.”

“I would tease you about being Totally Whipped but I’m too busy wasting away.”

“Shut up, oh my god,” Linong face palms. “Look, Quanzhe is bringing you slice anyway.”

Quanzhe comes back to the table with Chengcheng- already halfway through a ham and cheese croissant- and another boy trailing behind them.

“Guys, this is Zhenghao,” Quanzhe introduces, gesturing to the new boy.

“Haohao is fine,” grins Zhenghao, adjusting the large silver square glasses perched on his nose. He has soft brown hair and a sweet red and blue sweater on, and Linong thinks he’ll be a welcome addition to their small friendship group.

“I’m Justin,” Justin eagerly shakes Zhenghao’s hand whilst grabbing a piece of vanilla slice from Quanzhe’s plate, ignoring the older boy’s scowl. “We’re just discussing Linong’s date tonight.”

“It is not a date-“

“Ooooh,” Zhenghao wriggles his eyebrows, causing the other three to laugh amidst Linong’s pleas for them to leave him alone.

Linong rolls his eyes. “The absolute cheek-“

“Let’s continue this later,” Zhenghao giggles, backing away from the table. “I’m still on shift…”

“Get us more food!” Chengcheng cheers, swiping the final piece of slice.

Quanzhe yelps. “Give me that!”

The two begin wrestling across the table for the slice, Justin sitting between them and munching happily on his own piece. Linong shakes his fist at Zhenghao, the brown haired boy smiling innocently while preparing to serve a customer.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, Haohao!”

******

_ZZT: hey, are you okay? I haven’t heard from you in a while xx_

“Is that Zhengting?”

Ruibin puts his phone down and smiles ruefully at Zhou Rui, the smaller elf watching him knowingly from across the table, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

They were out to dinner for the fifth time in a row this week, all part of Zhou Rui’s “Distract Ruibin from Zhu Zhengting Plan”, which initially he’d been unwilling to admit was the reason for the large amount of time the two were suddenly spending together until Ruibin had finally forced it out of him.

He means well, Ruibin knows. But it hurts him to think that any of this is even necessary, it hurts that Zhengting doesn’t care for him in the same way he does for the faerie.

“You’re a really wonderful, _good_ person, Bin,” Zhou Rui says, cleanly cutting a slice of the blueberry pie on his plate. “And you’ll find the right person for you someday, just not right now, not Zhengting.”

Ruibin opens his mouth to speak but the silver haired elf cuts him off before he can.

“It’s been nearly two years, Bin. You have to move on, please.”

“Exactly. I can’t just get over loving someone for that long.” Nearly two years of loving Zhengting and now almost a week of not seeing or communicating with the faerie at all, and Ruibin doesn’t know what’s worse: the constant heartache or the new emptiness inside him.

He’d loved Zhengting since the night he met him, cold and shivering and crying and desperately needing someone to stay with him, to keep him safe. And Ruibin had done that ever since, giving the faerie all his love and asking nothing of him in return.

Sometimes he doesn’t know whether his selflessness is a strength or a weakness.  

Zhou Rui puts his drink down and looks closely at Ruibin. “Do you really love Zhengting the way you think you do or have you mixed up protecting someone and caring for them with being in love with them?”

Ruibin blinks. He brings his wine glass up to his lips, draining the sparkling blue liquid inside completely to avoid answering the question.

He places the glass back on the table to find the silver haired elf still watching him. Zhou Rui tilts his head, prompting Ruibin to answer him.

“I guess I haven’t ever thought about it like that.”  

******

“The winner of tonight’s Sing It East Cliff 2018 is Miss Mimi Lee!”

Yanjun rises from his seat to join the crowd in cheering for Mimi as she makes her way to the front of the stage to collect the little golden trophy that is rather cutely shaped like a treble clef. She brushes her black curls back from her face and beams at her parents in the crowd, cheeks turning pink when she spies Linong alongside Yanjun a few rows behind her family.

Linong waves at her happily, clutching a bouquet of pink tulips in his free hand. He and Yanjun had gone to the florist to buy them just before closing after asking Xuanyi’s opinion on what flowers she’d like best.

The event’s mc begins a thank you speech as the applause begins to die down, but all Linong can think about is going out with Mimi once they leave. “Hey, Yanjun?”

The siren blinks. “Sorry kid, just a bit distracted for a minute there. What’s up?”

“Do you know those girls?”

“Huh?”

Linong subtly inclines his head to the stairs at the right of the stage, where amongst all the parents and friends waiting to congratulate the contestants stand three stunningly beautiful girls in blue and white coordinated outfits - and one of them staring directly at Yanjun as if waiting for him to speak to her.

Before Yanjun can answer Linong, Mimi walks out from the stage curtains with the other performers amidst a smattering of applause. His eyes narrow as the three girls begin moving through the crowd, the shortest of the three making a beeline for Mimi, red brown hair swishing down her back, the other two close behind.

The boys arrive just in time to hear the shortest one speaking with a strong, clear voice, hand placed on Mimi’s shoulder with an air of familiarity. “Hey, we just wanted to say we _love_ your voice!”

“It’s a mood, yes, but who on earth are they,” Linong whispers in Yanjun’s ear, smiling innocently at Mimi as he does so. She smiles back happily, noting the pink bouquet in his hand.

“Is that for me?”

The three girls coo as Linong nods and hands her the tulips, eyes crinkling up at her obvious delight in the gift. “Xuanyi said they were your favourite.”

“Aww!” The shortest fans her face with the concert pamphlet. “Are you guys together? You’re so cute!”

Linong and Mimi blush and look everywhere but each other as one of the girls assures them of this while smiling and adjusting the olive green cap worn over her long black hair; the third girl is silent.

“We’re just passing through and happened to be walking by the hall when you were singing,” the shortest girl says. “Your voice is… irresistible.”

Mimi looks taken aback, while all Linong can focus on is the girl’s voice and the strangely silky quality to it that he doesn’t know how to feel about. He tries to gauge Yanjun’s thoughts on the girls, but the siren has a perfect poker face.

Concerning poker faces, Linong realises the third girl also happens to have a great one; either that, or no personality. She’d been staring at Yanjun earlier and now, despite being right near him, she says nothing.

“Oh my god, we haven’t introduced ourselves!” The shortest girl claps her hands, pressing a hand to her chest. “My name is Kimberley, and this is Lucia and Winnie!”

“We’re on holiday here for a short while,” beams the black-haired one, Lucia.

Yanjun represses his laughter at the idea of any holiday in their town, as does Linong, by some small miracle. Mimi looks politely confused.

“East Cliff is a common holiday spot, isn’t it?”

Kimberley stares directly into Yanjun’s eyes, fixated on him. “Isn’t it?” She repeats, more forcefully this time.

_That’s not going to work on me, baby._

Kimberley squints, suspicious.

“Of course.” Yanjun flashes his dimples and she smiles, placated. Damage control. He thinks of his glamour and he exhales in relief, glad he remembered it today.

_Oh, god. Zhangjing is going to flip his shit._

“I’m Mimi,” Mimi smiles, taking the hand Kimberley offers. “This is Nongnong and Yanjun.”

Linong fidgets, an awkward, unsure air about him that doesn’t match his usually bubbly, confident self. “We should go-“

Kimberley glares so fiercely at Linong that he freezes in place. Mimi tenses up and covers his hand with hers, keeping a smile plastered on her face, eyes flicking nervously between Kimberley and Yanjun, imploring the latter for help.

“Mimi, I think your parents are looking for you two,” Yanjun interjects smoothly, dimpling again to soothe Kimberley’s temper. “Go get your dinner reservation!”

Mimi smiles gratefully at Yanjun before nodding at the girls. “I’ll see you around,” she says, looping her arm through Linong’s and tugging him along with her. Yanjun grits his teeth at the blank expression on the younger boy’s face, hoping he comes to his senses soon. _If Zhangjing can’t handle one siren in town, how the hell is he going to cope with four?_

“See you soon,” Kimberley waves after them, backing away but still watching them with narrowed eyes.

Yanjun waves goodbye as the two walk away with Mimi’s parents, urging them all to eat well and have fun, and congratulating a flushing Mimi on her win once more. He scans the room as he prepares to leave, noting the sirens walking out of the second exit- _one, two_ -

“Yanjun.”

_Three._

Winnie approaches him from the left, a neutral expression on her pretty face, long wavy hair bouncing rather unnaturally but not in a wholly off-putting fashion.

Yanjun meets her eye. “Zining?”

“We need to talk.”

******

_“You need to eat. It’s been almost a week.”_

_Almost a week of Wenjun lying in bed. No food, just sleep, sleep, sleep. He wished he were dead- properly dead- instead of trapped in this nightmarish castle forever shrouded in darkness. He missed his faerie, he missed the sunlight, he missed the quick walks with Zhengting and their dogs squeezed in before he had to run along to whatever job he had at the time._

_Four months had passed before the night Wenjun had awoken in a foreign room with his leg in chains, four months of newborn thirst he hadn’t remembered save for fragmented pieces coming back to him in the aftermath of lucidity._

_From what he remembered, Wenjun was with Xinchun almost every second during that time, learning how to feed and move with his new power, totally dependent on the read-head; he remembered even sleeping in his bed, not wanting to be alone, holding the smaller vampire’s hand for comfort. What a joke, he thinks, rolling over to the other side of the bed so he doesn’t have to face Xinchun._

_There were few rules in Xinchun’s home: no interrupting him during Real Housewives reruns, no attempting to enter locked rooms and no mess on the carpet, the latter being in reference to food._

_Food. Humans. Like Wenjun- or his former self. But he couldn’t shake the disgust in himself at the idea of taking human lives for his own meals, and yet he had. For four months, a crazed newborn. Eating now, without the haze of bloodlust, isn’t something Wenjun can do. He feels like a monster._

_“Darling, please, you’ll be happier if you eat. Even just a blood bag. You’re hurting yourself.”_

_“I don’t care.”_

_He rolls over to see Xinchun clench his jaw and glance away, leaving Wenjun to wonder whether the red-hair is more invested in Wenjun’s survival than his nonchalant attitude normally gives away._

_“Some part of you must.”_

_“I don’t,” Wenjun says simply. He feels tears prick at his eyes and squeezes his eyes shut, determined not to cry in front of Xinchun. “I spent so long just accepting my fate, waiting for whatever came next without doing anything for myself. And then one day I realised I wanted Zhengting …”_

_Xinchun’s facial expression turns to stone and Wenjun knows he’s said too much but he doesn’t care at this point, feeling a wetness on his cheeks and not doing a thing to stop it. He lets out a hoarse cry. “I finally know the difference between just existing and actually living!”_

_The fox-like vampire spreads his hands helplessly. “Not anymore.”_

_“You took everything from me!” Something snaps in Wenjun and he sits up and grabs the vase by his bed and hurls it at Xinchun, shaking with rage when the other vampire simply dodges it with ease, watching with a bored expression as the vase smashes against the door and shatters in a shower of green ceramic._

_Xinchun sighs. “That was Qing Dynasty.”_

_“Get out.”_

_Wenjun isn’t sure whether it’s because of his own fierceness or simply that the other vampire has grown tired of messing with his new toy for the time being, but Xinchun disappears from the room instantly, without so much as a cutting parting remark._

_He flops back onto his bed and gazes up at the ceiling of his room, staring through blurry tears at the angels and cherubs and clouds painted above him: a mix of blues and pinks and white and cream. It’s beautiful, the type of painting Zhengting always raved about, and in the faerie’s desperation to recreate something similar himself had dragged Wenjun along with him to art classes for only two weeks before realising art wasn’t quite his forte._

__

_Wenjun imagines viewing the painting in sunlight, with Zhengting chattering happily by his side, eyes sparkling as they always did when he talked about something he loved, blonde wavy hair shining like a halo in the sun’s rays._

__

_His angel._

__

_Or, Zhengting resembled one, at least._

__

_Wenjun rubs at his eyes, attempting to clear his vision a little and dry his face, and his hands come away stained a dark colour._

__

_Blood._

__

_No, tears._

__

_Tears of blood that remind him of the blood he needs to drink._

__

_Wenjun doesn’t even have the energy to be repulsed._

__

_Closing his eyes, he sinks further into the many cushions one of Xinchun’s maids arranged on his bed, urging himself to sleep before the cravings overcome him completely._

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this was boring,, but it's just a little necessary before what's coming next; the next chapter is kind of where some shit actually starts to go down so if you're a little bored atm i promise im actually going somewhere with this dhdjdjdks


	7. Inconvenient Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zhengkun. yah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummm so sorry for not updating in so long... please forgive me?

Truth.

The word was somewhat foreign to Yanjun, both in practice and knowledge. He rarely told the truth, and was rarely told it in return. Honestly speaking, Lin Yanjun had become a ghost of his own making, no friends to speak of and no enemies either; he belonged to nothing and no one, and it had been that way for many years now.

He snaps his fingers at the bartender, a male satyr with rainbow coloured hair curling over his horns. He slides a glass to Yanjun, winking at the siren before turning to the next customer. Yanjun lifts the glass to his lips and notices a scrap of paper stuck to the bottom with a number scrawled on it. Yanjun smirks and looks away, eyes raking over the bodies packed together on the dancefloor.  

One hour and thirty three minutes. The amount of time Yanjun had been in this club tonight. Yanjun often left clubs with people, but never arrived with them. Tonight was different, one of the rare times he went out with someone he already knew. Zhengting had insisted on him coming along, saying something about ‘old times’.

But, in typical Zhengting fashion, he’d disappeared with his new vampire toy Xukun hardly thirty minutes after they arrived. And Yanjun was most definitely not interested in hanging around for their friends’ domestic disputes or hook-ups.

Roaming the nightclub solo posed no problem for the siren however, as he had errands of his own to do, someone to see.

He finally spies her in the throng of dancers, eyes closed and shimmering peach, heavy pink on her cheeks and he can’t tell whether it’s artificial blush or a flush from dancing or a combination of both, but she looks beautiful and he misses her suddenly, in that strange way you miss someone even when they’re right in front of you.

Yanjun drains the last drops from his glass and places it on the counter before moving toward her, weaving fluidly through the crowd. He can’t see her at times, but he can feel her, her body calling to him, a hum he can detect over the music blasting around him at every angle.

“Zining.”

She spins around, arms raised above her head, jumping up and down and her brown curls are bouncing too; almost as if they have a life of their own, Yanjun thinks, wondering how far-fetched it would be for him to apply the Medusa-head myth to the girl before him. Beside her, Kimberley and Lucia dance in their own little world, the elder with a drink in hand, eyes closed and rolling her hips in time to the music, the younger with her arms wrapped around Kimberley’s waist, chin resting on the shorter siren’s shoulder.

Zining gazes at him in surprise, moving to press her body against his, pulling him into the rhythm. She smiles at him prettily, blinking innocently. She isn’t innocent, Yanjun knows her well enough for that. But oddly, and perhaps wrongly, he does trust her. The only person not to betray him thus far.

He stops dancing. “Come with me.”

She takes Yanjun’s outstretched hand, smiling at Kimberley and Lucia without looking at them as she follows him out of the crowd and to a dark, closed off corner by the bathrooms. The line for the bathroom twists out of the hall and ends just metres from the two, but Yanjun figures the combination of loud music and drunken confusion is more than enough to consider their conversation private.

He clears his throat. “You know I’m friends with Mimi, don’t you?”

Zining inclines her head, silent.

“You’re not going to hurt her, are you?” Yanjun grabs her jaw, forces her to look at him.

“This got serious fast.”

“This isn’t a game, Zining! She’s just a kid! You need to take Kimberley and Lucia out of here before they try something. I’m not letting Kimberley do this all over again.”

“You still believe I have any control over Kimberley? Knowing what you know?”

“I’m serious, Zining.”

“So am I.”

Yanjun releases her from his grasp, eyes screwed shut in worry and anger.

“Look, I can’t tell you what you want to hear,” Zining speaks soothingly, brows creased with worry, “just be careful. Stay alert.”

“Alert for what?”

Zining snaps her fingers impatiently, taps her foot against the floorboards. “Nothing. Yet. It’s nothing to do with you. I’m just telling you to be on guard because… these things have a way of involving anyone and everyone. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Yanjun scoffs. “But you’re okay with keeping me in the dark with no way to know what it is I need to be wary of?”

“Bear with me for now, can’t you?”

Zining’s forte: answering questions with more questions.

“Just relax.” She trails a finger down his cheek, eyes locked on his, and he can’t look away.

“Trying to distract me as always?”

Zining chuckles lightly, mock whispers, “I think it’s working.”

She stands on tiptoe, cupping his jaw with one palm, pressing her lips against his. Her curls tickle his cheeks, and Yanjun once again thinks of Medusa, thinks maybe Zining is just the right amount of untrustworthy for him, the right mix of messed up good intentions and corrupt that Zhangjing isn’t, is too good for.

_Zhangjing._

He pulls away. “Zhangjing.”

Yanjun blinks, stepping away and holding his palm up in an attempt to put some space between them.

Zining giggles and places her palm against his, threading their fingers together. “Wizard boy?”

“Sorcerer,” Yanjun corrects, rolling his eyes. He pulls his hand away. “What are you doing?”

“I told you, I can’t tell you.”

Yanjun massages his temples in frustration. “Why is everyone I’m involved with so obsessed with keeping secrets?”

“You’re still so cute.” Ignoring the question, just like always. Zining bites her lip, smiling, looking as if she wants to say something else but she settles on: “I miss you.”

Yanjun doesn’t reply.

“I have to get back,” Zining tilts her head back in the direction of the dancefloor, both of them astutely conscious of the two sharp pairs of eyes on them, never missing a movement.

“Can Kimberley read lips yet?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she could read minds at this point,” Zining smiles, “but let’s not wait to test that.”

Yanjun steps closer, tangles her curls in his fingers, pulls her to him. Zining leans into his touch, brushes her nose against his, kisses him gently, then harder. He doesn’t stop her this time, breathless until she lets him go.

When she does, she presses one soft kiss to his cheek and whispers to him as she walks away. 

“Go find your wizard boy.”

******

“Are you aware of just how much of a thot you look like up there?”

Zeren glares at Xukun, not bothering to pause his dancing. “I’m literally a stripper, you stupid bitch!”

Yanchen cracks up at his boyfriend’s outburst, watching in admiration as Zeren twirls and rolls his hips to the beat of the bass, beautiful and alluring in his black pants and matching sequined crop top. Yanchen steps up to the podium beside him, leaning against the pole, smirking as Zeren flips off Xukun and presses up against Yanchen, grinding in time to the music and kissing the black haired vampire deeply.

Xukun and Ziyi exchange a look of disgust.

“Of course he is, silly,” Zhengting giggles, kissing Xukun’s cheek. “Slutty and available is our brand.”

“Available?” The blonde vampire growls under his breath, placing his index finger under the faerie’s jaw to look into Zhengting’s sparkling, mismatched eyes, eyes brimming with mischief.

Zhengting gazes back unabashedly. “Aren’t I?”

“Okay, I’ve seen enough,” Ziyi mutters, already walking away to the dancefloor. “If you need me, don’t call me.”

“I’ll be sure to!” Zhengting sings sweetly, earning a glare from the werewolf as he disappears into a throng of elves. “God, he’s so fun to tease.”

Yanchen nods. “The one thing we agree on.”

Zeren smiles. “Progress.”

“Only for you,” Yanchen replies, hoisting up the small dancer by the thighs and kissing him hard. Zeren smirks at Xukun over his boyfriend’s shoulder, satisfied when the blonde turns away with a roll of his eyes.

“Look what I’ve got,” Zhengting whispers, hand disappearing as he reaches into his jeans pocket. He opens his palm to reveal a thin white packet.

Xukun raises his eyebrow. “What is it?”

The faerie smiles cheekily. “Faerie dust. And not just the usual shit. This is the best of it.”

“Is that what that Meiyun girl gave you that night we went to the market?”

Zhengting winks, takes Xukun’s hand in his and drags him away from Yanchen and Zeren, the two too busy to notice them slipping away. “Let’s get fucked up.”

******

In Zhangjing’s mind, the distance from the entry doors to the bar hadn’t been quite so far as it translated to in reality, but after minutes of being jostled around in the rather unruly crowd of drugged up, drunken creatures, the sorcerer finally arrived, climbing onto the stool and dropping his head onto the counter. He turns his face to let one cheek rest against the coolness of the wood, catching his breath as he watches the dancefloor turn to a blur of colours.

Bass thumping, lights flashing, smokescreen blinding, sensory overload, everything too much and none of it Zhangjing’s style, but here he is, first time in a club in well over a year… and he made the effort to dress himself up, too: a velvet blue blazer paired with tight black pants, a black lace choker and even a dark smoky eye, which- although he felt a bit ridiculous in it- he had to admit he looked insanely good. Definitely good enough to fit in with this crowd. More than enough to be on the arm of a siren.

Not that he wanted to touch Lin Yanjun with a ten foot pole. Or at all.

“Hey.”

Zhangjing almost topples off the stool.

A girl behind the bar watches him, laughing a little. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Oh, hi,” Zhangjing smiles shyly. He clasps his hands together atop the counter, acutely aware of the ‘I don’t belong here’ aura he’s giving off. “I’m just waiting for my friend to meet me.”

The bartender smiles and puts down the glass she’s finished polishing to pick up another. “What’s their name? I might know them.”

“His name is Zhengting. He runs his own nightclub but I think he wanted a change of scenery for once.”

Zhangjing watches her fill a glass of water and push it across to him. He immediately takes a sip, shocked to find just how dry his throat is, and downs the rest of it in seconds.

“Zhu Zhengting? The owner of Archangel?”

Zhangjing nods, shuffling on his stool as he realises the stark difference between Zhangjing’s less than five close friends compared to Zhengting knowing anyone and everyone. He slides the empty glass back and forth between his hands. “You know him well?”

“Not really, but I’ve met him before at another club, for a bachelor party or something? I think he arrived with a few people earlier.”

The sorcerer pulls his phone out to check if he’d missed any messages from the faerie, but he hadn’t. Zhengting had always been forgetful though. He looks back to the bartender who is focusing on something on her phone.

“Whew, Zhengting’s friends are such a good looking crowd,” laughs the bartender, fanning herself with the towel she’s been using to dry and polish the glasses. “His boyfriend was so hot, too. Let me get a picture.”

Zhangjing laughs, thinking that yes, Wenjun was rather attractive from what he’d seen.

The girl makes a sound of satisfaction. “Here!”

“Hmm?”

She holds the phone out to Zhangjing who leans across the counter. He blinks.

Onscreen, Zhengting is half turned to the camera, a smile on his lips. He wears a red silken shirt with black pinstripes, blonde-brown hair styled off his forehead to one side; Zhangjing often forgets the faerie once had lighter hair. But what stuns Zhangjing is the handsome silver haired man Zhengting clings to, has his lips pressed to the corner of that man’s lips, staring straight into the camera, piercing eyes and trademark smirk leaving Zhangjing hypnotized in shock. Lin Yanjun.

“Hey, are you okay?”

_Zhengting and Yanjun. Zhengting and Yanjun. Zhengting and Yan-_

“Honey?”

Zhangjing blinks again, suddenly conscious of the tears pricking at his eyes. “Oh, I-I’m fine,” he stutters, backing off his stool. “I- I have to go. Thank you for the drink.”

Bowing quickly, he turns and pushes through the crowd, desperate to reach the exit before he sees anyone he knows.

The tears flow like a dam breaking just as he reaches the exit and he shoves past the bouncers, burying his face in his palms as he runs down the street.

******

Xukun grabs fistfuls of Zhengting’s shirt to yank the faerie closer to him, too harshly and far too impatient, the top two gold buttons popping off and flying away, landing on the ground with a ping. Zhengting whines “my shirt” but the vampire shuts him up straight away, tongue slicking past his lips and past his teeth, taking away Zhengting’s breath and any more useless talk.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,” Zhengting pushes Xukun off of him, fans himself as he pulls out the faerie dust safe in his pocket.

Xukun chuckles. “One hey is enough, angel.”

“I want you to try it first.”

The vampire grins. “Okay.”

“I like this Kunkun,” Zhengting smiles, giggling, “this Kunkun who doesn’t ask questions.”

“You normally answer them yourself, don’t you, Ting?”

“Maybe I do,” the faerie answers, fiddling with the packet, shaking hands from already being way too buzzed struggling to open it.

Xukun swipes it from him, and raises it to his mouth, sharp fangs slipping out in a flash as he tears the packet open between his teeth. “And you already knew about this.”

Zhengting’s mouth gapes open. “Kunkun, I-“

“Nothing gets by you,” the vampire smiles, kissing Zhengting softly on the nose. “Now where do you want this?”

The faerie blinks, reeling from Xukun’s careless tone, but immediately returns to the situation at hand, determined to make the most of the time he has with this wild Xukun. “I think a hip bone is a pretty intimate place, right?”

Xukun drops to his knees, smirking up at Zhengting as he unbuttons his jeans, rolling the waistline down just enough to reveal his hip bone, and a large black feather tattoo. “Nice tatt.”

“I thought so too.”

The vampire nudges Zhengting backwards, tripping him up a little and sending him falling onto the closed toilet seat. The two of them begin to laugh, Xukun resting his head on Zhengting’s thigh as he does so. “Classy Ting, so classy.”

“Shut up!”

Xukun smirks again, takes the packet and pours the faerie dust in a neat line along the faerie’s hipbone, in a way so perfectly that only someone with a shit ton of experience could do- and once again Zhengting finds himself with more questions about the vampire, questions he doesn’t know how to answer and knows he won’t be able to without Xukun’s help, but right now he doesn’t care.

His head is pounding and the dust seems too bright to look at but he stares anyway, eyes wide and taking in its pretty iridescence as it glows against his golden skin, the changing, shimmering colours captivating even under the ugly fluorescent lights of the bathroom. And maybe it’s fucked up and incredibly vain but Zhengting knows he looks good like this, totally out of control and still crazy beautiful.

Xukun pulls a tooter from his pocket, gripping Zhengting’s thigh tight as he leans down and snorts the line straight up. He throws his head back with a groan, pinching his nose as the familiar burn sears through his nose and throat, the rush of adrenaline whooshing through his veins that he hadn’t felt in far too long. “Fuck me,” he says, rubbing his nose.

Zhengting laughs. “No, fuck me.”

“Zhengting.”

Ruibin stands in the doorway, eyes welled with tears as he takes in the view before him.

Zhengting braces his arm against the wall, finding it hard to stay upright all of a sudden. His vision begins to blur over, the three Ruibins he sees before him multiplying with every blink, giving him the strong urge to laugh, and he finds himself giggling uncontrollably. “I really thought I closed the door, Kunkun, didn’t we close the door?”  

Ruibin hitches a sob and says nothing more, just runs his hands through his hair and leaves the bathroom as fast as he can. In his place is Zhou Rui, standing in the doorway, fists balled and looking torn between running after his best friend and having words with Zhengting. The sound of the faerie’s laughter provokes him to stay. “What the fuck are you on?”

Zhengting looks at him, eyes glazed over and a look of pure ecstasy in his eyes. “Some fucking good shit.”

“I was wrong about you, Zhengting. I thought you actually cared about him.”

Zhengting blinks. “Who?”

Zhou Rui grinds his teeth together, rage evident on his face. He looks at Xukun. “I hope you’re not looking for anything real with this- _him_ \- because I _promise_ you he’s nothing but a fucked up selfish nightmare in pretty packaging.”

The elf spins on heel, slamming the bathroom door behind him. “At least close the fucking door if you’re gonna be a whore in public!”

Xukun gazes at Zhengting with wide eyes. “Who the hell was that?”

Zhengting waves his hand absently. “No one important.” Zhengting’s hand trails down Xukun’s chest, and then further, sucking lightly at the vampire’s neck. “I’m getting bored, Kunkun.”

Xukun tilts his head, a smirk on his lips. “Don’t test me princess. I don’t want to bite you.”

“Oh?” Zhengting smiles widely, revealing his teeth to be suddenly sharper and longer. Xukun’s pupils dilate as leans back against the wall in shock. “What the hell, Ting.”

Zhengting’s teeth graze against Xukun’s neck, nipping gently under his jaw. “I wonder whose teeth are sharper, hmm?”

And suddenly all Xukun can think in this moment is that Zhu Zhengting looks like the embodiment of pure sin and everything he shouldn’t want and maybe he has a lot of questions but right now there’s nothing- _nothing_ \- he wants more than the faerie writhing underneath him.

He wraps his hand around Zhengting’s wrist and pulls him flush against him, kisses him hard. “Let’s go.”

******

Since leaving Zining, Yanjun had been wandering the club with no specific intentions other than waiting for You Zhangjing. He’d danced with whoever asked and accepted drinks and pills from those who offered- nothing hard, that wasn’t quite his scene- and all in all he’d had a fairly enjoyable time. But still no Zhangjing, and he could only ignore the sorcerer’s absence for so long without feeling like he was missing something.

Call him crazy, but he was really looking forward to spending time with Zhangjing one on one, even with the sorcerer’s apparent hatred for his existence. Not that he didn’t love Linong, but… that wasn’t quite the relationship he was after. If at all. At this point, Zhangjing had only just begun to come round to him and really, he was doing his best to avoid jinxing that.

He hopes so, anyway.

Yanjun’s eyes light up as Zhengting stumbles out from the bathroom by the side bar, phone in hand. He quickly pulls out his phone and shoots Zhengting a text.

_[1:06 am] LYJ: where is Zhangjing???_

Xukun steps out with a tad more control than Zhengting, only for the faerie to jump into his arms, wrapping his legs around the vampire and knocking him back against the wall. The two make out like juvenile teens for a solid minute to Yanjun’s chagrin, as he fails to gain much ground in their direction, caught up in the crowd. His disgust turns to panic as they disentangle themselves and head toward the exit, Zhengting clinging to the blonde and bouncing in excitement from whatever substances he’d taken in the club.

Yanjun makes a last ditch effort and yells loudly. “Zhengting!”

The faerie smiles sweetly at the bouncers and walks out the doors, disappearing from view.

“Are you fucking serious!” The siren complains, hand extended in the air as if he could somehow reach the faerie and bring him back. He curses the two and texts Linong instead, praying the younger boy is still awake.

_[1:07 am] LYJ: have you heard from Zhangjing?_

The reply is instant.

_[1:08 am] CLN: what do you mean? Isn’t he with you?_

Yanjun groans in frustration and pockets his phone while glancing around the club, keenly searching for the small sorcerer in the fray of creatures.

With luck, Yanjun thinks, Zhangjing just arrived late and will simply be where the food is and just hasn’t heard his phone over all the noise. Moving through the closely packed bodies proves harder than Yanjun hoped it would be, and he finds himself getting too caught up in other people’s limbs to speed up, the feeling of being trapped mixed with the drugs and spells floating through the air akin to quicksand dragging him downwards.

Yanjun’s phone buzzes again and he yanks it out of his pocket quickly, shaking himself awake and alert.

_[1:13 am] CLN: Yanjun? Is something wrong? He isn’t answering my calls?_

“Fuck,” the siren hisses as a drunken nymph slams into him, nearly knocking his phone to the ground.

“Up for a dance, handsome?” The nymph runs her fingers up Yanjun’s arm, resting her hand on his shoulder and leaning into him.

“Not today, sorry,” he pushes her gently off him, quickly slipping into the crowd before the nymph has time to lose her temper. He opens his phone to see more messages from Linong.

_[1:15 am] CLN: The last time I spoke to him he was on his way to the club_

_[1:16 am] CLN: he was in a good mood are you sure he’s okay?_

_[1:16 am] CLN: Zhangjing always messages back straight away im worried_

_[1:16 am] CLN: I texted and called Zhengting and he’s not replying either wth is going on?_

_[1:17 am] LYJ: Zhengting left not long ago. He hasn’t replied to me either so I don’t know whether he’s seen Zhangjing or not._

_[1:17 am] LYJ: I’m going to keep looking for him. Do you have any idea where he would go?_

_[1:17 am] CLN: hey, don’t stress too much. I think I know where he is._

He finally makes it off the dancefloor, but at this point there’s no longer any rush, and he walks towards the bouncers instead of the bar, certain that Zhangjing isn’t here, if he had even come at all.

_[1:24 am] LYJ: let me know when you do_

_[1:24 am] CLN: I’m sorry Yanjun. I know how much you wanted to see him ://_

Yanjun sighs, exiting the club and stepping out onto the street. It’s raining. Pouring, to be more accurate. He takes in the long line of people waiting for a cab and sighs in defeat, walking away from the nightclub, setting off in the direction of his home. He raises his arms to cover his head but quickly gives up, the rain too heavy to protect himself.

_[1:29 am] LYJ: it’s okay Nongs. Just keep him safe, okay?_

Of course tonight is the night he forgets his umbrella.

******

Xukun would be lying if he said the incredibly hazy past twenty minutes of the taxi trip from the club to Zhengting’s home weren’t some of the best minutes he’d ever lived, and no he hadn’t fucked Zhengting yet but if only the faerie’s mouth could make him feel that fucking good in that limited time then he assumed it was safe to say Zhu Zhengting was the best he ever had.

Premature? Perhaps a little. But Xukun figured the taxi driver (he did tip him extra for his discretion) would be able to attest to his hypothesis, now or later.

Poor guy just wouldn’t be lucky enough to test it, though.

He follows Zhengting upstairs, the way up rather boxed in and dark, much like parts of Xukun’s old home. The vampire trails his hands against the walls with every step, the feel of it the only thing from keeping him in touch with reality, even his very footfalls feeling a mile away like he’s walking on clouds that he can’t come down from.

He reaches Zhengting’s room and steps inside, blinking with surprise at what he sees when he enters: Xukun, everywhere, staring at himself with a doped up, dumbfounded expression. “Do I really look that fucked up?”

“You look sexy, baby, real sexy.”

Zhengting rolls onto his back where he lies in the middle of his four poster bed, all naked golden skin and inky purple black hair and just his shirt missing two buttons, tooter in hand and white dust like snow on the tip of his nose as he lies on his black silken sheets, staring up at himself in the mirrors of his walls and ceiling, because the best kind of fucking is when he can see himself enjoying it all from any angle he wants.

“You like to watch yourself get fucked, angel?”

“I’ll watch myself doing anything.” The faerie sits up, scoots back to the headboard, watching the vampire with hooded eyes. “Come here,” he beckons, crooking a finger cutely.

“Ah, to be me,” Xukun grins and crawls onto the bed, eyes glowing red with hunger? Lust? Zhengting doesn’t know and he’s too high to care about anything but Xukun’s body against his.

The vampire stops suddenly, staring intently at Zhengting’s neck… his veins, to be exact, pulsing fast and it’s all Xukun can look at, unable to remember the last time he fed on something that wasn’t a fucking blood bag.

Zhengting smiles and moves to sit in the vampire’s lap, thighs on either side of Xukun’s, tilts his neck sideways and lifts a hand to brush his curls away from his neck, leaving it bare. He looks into Xukun’s eyes.

Xukun cups his jaw with one hand, presses a kiss to the corner of the faerie’s mouth. “You’re sure?”

Zhengting nods, and the vampire is on him in a flash, sinking his teeth into the faerie’s neck and Zhengting lets out a sharp “ah!” unprepared for the quickness and pain of the bite with its odd mix of pleasure, eyes screwed shut and feeling so overwhelmed by the feeling of it all that he can’t even watch himself.

Suddenly Xukun releases him with a yell, shoves Zhengting off of him, red eyes fading to a more golden colour and blinking in shock, fangs poking into his lips tainted red.

“Baby?” Zhengting takes his shoulders and pulls him to the end of the bed, switches their positions. “Baby, are you okay?”

“Shit,” Xukun grunts heavily, head falling against the headboard with a bang. He presses a hand to his forehead. “It’s not- not usually-“

Zhengting climbs into his lap, places his hands on the vampire’s shoulder’s and kisses up his neck, nipping gently at the soft, sensitive skin between the connect of Xukun’s jaw and neck. “What is it, baby?”

“The blood rush, it’s- it’s like it’s ten times more overpowering than usual, maybe? I don’t know?”

“Are you asking me something, Kunkun?” Zhengting giggles, taking the vampire’s earlobe between his teeth. Xukun watches as the faerie makes his way back downwards, unbuttoning his tight black jeans deftly and shimmying them off Xukun.

“I’m just a bit confused I guess,” the blonde grins, eyes becoming more focused. He lifts his hips to accommodate Zhengting. “That definitely got me more fucked up than usual.”

“Or maybe,” the faerie says, bracing his hands on Xukun’s thighs, “maybe I’m just that fucking good.”

He dips down into the vampire’s lap, all kittenish licks and soft kisses until he wraps his lips around Xukun’s sex and sucks hard, nails digging in to control the blonde bucking his hips too much.

“Oh my f-fucking Jesus fucking Christ, Zhengting!”

Zhengting releases him for a second, breathing heavily, lips shining with spit and he smiles angelically before dropping back down and taking him in entirely, nails pressing deeper the more Xukun loses control, littering his thighs with tiny crescent moon marks.

Then he’s gone, his mouth no longer on Xukun and the vampire whines at the loss, wants Zhengting back on him, _needs_ Zhengting on him. He reaches for the faerie who simply giggles and shuffles away, moves beside him to rest his head against the headboard and seconds later the room is filled with short, breathless moans as Xukun realises Zhengting is prepping himself, and he watches in wide-eyed fascination as the faerie grips the bedframe, the sheets and finally Xukun’s arm, the veins in his neck pulsing rapidly as he fucks himself.

Xukun grabs him suddenly, “that’s enough,” and grips Zhengting’s arms, twists him round and throws him down into the sheets, frozen for a second as he takes in the faerie’s beauty once more, sweaty curls and kiss-bitten lips and bright eyes staring back at him, and he doesn’t bother to take care with the remaining buttons on the shirt, just tears it off, Zhengting’s giggles sounding miles away.

In seconds, he aligns himself with Zhengting and pushes into him, not bothering with any gentle touches or “are you okays”, and begins rolling his hips slowly, painfully slowly.

“Xukun,” the faerie slips a hand onto his shoulder, digs his nails in roughly, rolls his hips to meet the vampire’s, “faster, please, fucking faster.”

And Xukun is only happy to oblige.

He slams into Zhengting at a rapid pace, threading a hand into the faerie’s inky curls before grabbing a fistful of it and forcing his head back, licking a stripe up his neck amidst Zhengting’s little moans and sobs. He feels the faerie wrap his legs around him tightly, digging deeply into the skin just above his ass as if to trap him there, encouraging him to speed up, go deeper. As Zhengting arches back further his neck looks more inviting, but Xukun doesn’t want to bite him again just yet so his hand snakes upwards, covers it up, presses tightly and grins as Zhengting chokes around it, tears pricking prettily in the faerie’s eyes as he hitches a sob and gasps for air, drags his nails up the vampire’s back and down his chest, loving the feeling of being at Xukun’s mercy and being desperate for more, more, more.

The effect of the mirrors is multiplied in his current state, a million Zhengtings arching back, fisting in the sheets, digging their nails into Xukun’s back, and then his contented sigh turns into a scream as Xukun flips them over, fucking up into Zhengting now who can only utter “f-fffuck, Xukun, please,” and “ah, ah, ah,” as the vampire slams into him, the room filled with Zhengting’s cries and Xukun’s grunts and the lewd sound of skin against skin. Xukun stares up at them now, thrusts his hips harshly into Zhengting, chuckling as the faerie gasps and screams and grips him tightly, understanding exactly why Zhengting loves being able to watch.  

Xukun flips them again, fucks into the faerie harder, faster, his mouth hovering by Zhengting’s neck again. “So good, baby, you’re doing so ff-ffucking good,” he whispers, smirking as Zhengting simply gasps and mewls in reply.

And then his fangs are sliding out and into the faerie’s neck, then his movements are sharper and quicker, deepening his angle, pounding into Zhengting and Zhengting is crying from the overstimulation, cheeks wet with tears and begging Xukun to slow down, to speed up, to fuck him harder and the truth of it is that he doesn’t know what he wants but Xukun is giving him everything and more.

Zhengting comes first, gasps and cries as his orgasm hits and shudders through him, screams as his entire body shakes violently; he has to close his eyes because the mirrors are all too much, but when he closes them he can see stars and fireworks and everything is still too much, so he opens them again and watches Xukun in the mirror, knows the vampire is close as his movements speed up like a jackhammer and Zhengting rakes his nails down his back again, revelling in the noise Xukun lets out, admiring the red trails down his back.

It’s then that Xukun reaches his climax with a cry, his rhythm going from perfect, fast fucking to haphazard grinding, hips stuttering with every thrust, fangs slipping out Zhengting’s neck as he pulls out and comes in two white streaks across the faerie, biceps shaking as the faerie grips onto them, feeling like he’s in another world where only he and Zhengting exist, a place he doesn’t want to ever, ever leave.

He gazes at Zhengting, who also happens to be looking at himself, eyes glassy and pupils wide, staring up into the ceiling mirrors and looking so out of it that Xukun thinks it’s adorable, leans forward to kiss him deeply before collapsing beside Zhengting, looking into the mirrors too. Come splattered across Zhengting’s collarbones and down both their chests, skin golden and iridescent in the mirror, traces of the faerie dust all over them and oh how beautiful it looks in their reflections, Xukun thinks, their bodies the only colour against the pitch black silken sheets and pillows.

“Are you okay, Ting?” Xukun tugs Zhengting close, rolling on top of him just to kiss his nose softly, kiss his mouth too, then falls back beside him, looping an arm over the faerie’s slim waist, pulling him closer.

“Oh, yes,” the faerie shakes his black purple curls out of his eyes and looks into Xukun’s, giggling at the vampire’s wide blown pupils. He rests his cheek against Xukun’s arm, smiles at him warmly, content. “More than okay.”

******

Wind rushes through Linong’s hair and against his face, sending the tips of ears and nose a ruddy pink. He pedals faster along the path, veering off the main trail and deeper into the trees where he first met Zhangjing two years earlier, the only place he figures the sorcerer will be.

Linong climbs off his bike and leans it against a large oak tree. He glances at his watch. _2:04 am_. “Zhangjing, I swear to god if my parents wake up and find me not in bed you better be willing to try every spell in the book to make them forget this,” he mutters, buttoning up the last buttons of his parka.

As he leaves the shelter of the trees, Linong strongly considers taking his scarf off and wrapping it over his head, wondering what possessed him to leave the house without a beanie.

There’s no bonfire in their clearing today, no piles of books and ingredients strewn messily across the grass in Zhangjing’s usual way. Instead, Linong follows the only illumination in the pitch black night: the river a ways down the hill, glowing neon green and highlighting the hooded figure of the smaller elder man.

Linong finds himself quickening his pace, footing cautious as he edges down the rain-wet grass and over the moss-covered rocks towards Zhangjing. He stops at the edge of the stream and watches the sorcerer dip a thin glass vial into the shimmering green water, crouched down on the third stepping stone in the centre of the river. A second vial, cracked and containing a thick red jelly-like substance lies on the stone closer to Linong, oozing out of the glass and spilling into the river, tainting its perfect green colour.

Linong startles. “Is that a- You Zhangjing is that seriously an anti-love potion? For what?”

The sorcerer says nothing, just mindlessly runs his hands through the water despite the vial already being full.

“You should be wearing your gloves for this,” Linong says, tsking as he reaches into his backpack for his own blue ones, pulling Zhangjing’s hands out of the river to pull them on. The gloves are far too large for the wizard’s smaller hands, but any protection is better than none. “Your magic is already draining you enough these days, why would you be so careless?”

Whatever mumbled reply Zhangjing makes is lost in the howling wind.

“Zhangjing. Are you drunk?”

“No.”

Linong sighs. “Then? What’s going on?”

“You know when you desperately want to know the truth about someone, and it’s not what you expected but it’s still… not what you want to hear?”

“Zhangjing, what happened?”

Zhangjing yanks the hood of his jacket off and crosses to the next rock back towards the younger boy, swaying as he does so. Linong grabs his arm to steady him, eyes deep with concern at the sorcerer’s uncharacteristically dispirited expression.

“Yanjun and Zhengting happened.”

******

_“There’s no more locks on the doors,” Xinchun says out of the blue one day, appearing by Wenjun’s side._

_Wenjun doesn’t look up from the novel in his hands. “So?”_

_“As your creator, I want us to get along- someday at least. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner in your own home,” the red-head replies._

_Wenjun detects the slightest hint of desperation in the other vampire’s voice- loneliness, perhaps? He doesn’t know for sure, but Xinchun’s mood seemed to rise and fall depending on whether or not Wenjun ate or spoke to him which was… not often._

_“This isn’t my home.”_

_“Darling, can we just get past this?”_

_Wenjun flinches as Xinchun flits to sit on the arm of the lounge he’s reclining on. He bats him away with a copy of Great Expectations he found in the library. “Get past… what, exactly? You murdering me and imprisoning me in this ridiculously pretentious castle of yours, with no idea of where my fiancé is or if he is even alive?”_

_Xinchun grinds his jaw. “Your fiancé is alive,” he says flatly. “Are you happy now?”_

_Wenjun’s breath hitches for just a second as he processes the information. Over half a year had passed in Xinchun’s dark castle with no news or knowledge of the outside world, and although he felt he’d just know if Zhengting had passed, the confirmation that the faerie was still alive lifted some kind of weight of his mind._

_“No, I’m not,” he says, finally. “I’d be happy if I was alive. I’m happiest holding Ting’s hand. And instead I’m stuck here with you, a dithering idiot boarded up in darkness with an affinity for trashy reality TV and no real grasp of the situation- no understanding of what you’ve taken from me. So no, I’m not fucking happy.”_

_He spits out the word ‘happy’, laughing bitterly at Xinchun’s lost expression. “I wouldn’t expect one of your kind to understand.”_

_Neither of them mention that Wenjun himself is now one of Xinchun’s kind. There just isn’t any point in doing so._

_Xinchun reaches into his breast pocket. “I have something for you.”_

_“I don’t want it,” Wenjun says, eyes back on his book._

_“You will,” the red-haired vampire whispers, then vanishes from the room, leaving an envelope fluttering into Wenjun’s lap behind._

_Wenjun opens it up, curiosity getting the better of him once out of the vampire’s sight. He tips it against the novel, a small square piece of thick paper slipping out._

_Zhengting’s painting stares back at him: the terrible, almost ugly portrait of the two of them he’d made during their first art class together, it’s only redeeming quality being the childish innocence in the use of colour, so awful it was adorable._

_The gigantic smile on Zhengting’s face when he showed it to Wenjun appears in his mind. “Junnie, it’s us,” the faerie had giggled proudly, thrusting it under his nose._

_“It’s hideous,” Wenjun had said frankly, laughing and holding his hands up to defend himself from Zhengting’s violent punches the second after he said it. “Zhengzheng! Please!”_

_“Take it back!”_

_Wenjun had taken every hit graciously until he couldn’t take it anymore and pulled the faerie into his lap and kissed his face all over. “I wish I could!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: i've noticed no one seems to be super interested in this or is leaving comments anymore so i may discontinue this,, it's just far too long term a fic to write for just myself when i already know how it ends


	8. Siren Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a small part of yanjun's past, chengstin nonsense and finally the beginning of zeren's personal plot line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HHHHHHHHHHHH hell0 i have returned from the dead 
> 
> guys im so sorry to have left u all for dead for so long,, i had half of this finished 4 months ago but only just properly finished it now so ! fml !
> 
> hope u enjoy this, because i am trying to pick up the pace towards the upcoming key points, even if it seems like im fuckin around mnfdfjks 
> 
> to those of u who’ve been wanting updates and commenting, im especially sorry for having been so slow in updating and only just replying to comments;; they really do encourage me to write a lot more so thank u very much <333 
> 
> ily all ! x

_2004_

_The water is cool, green, perfect: as it always is in the Whitsunday Islands- the only place Yanjun ever returns to more than once. Here he feels freedom like no place else, roaming through the islands alone at his own pace, dipping through places habited and uninhabited alike. Over the years he has found himself returning less and less as the Great Barrier Reef declines I health, his helplessness to fix it weighing him down too much to stick around long._

_Today he’s found himself ignoring that._

_Yanjun swims through a mainland beach, ducking cheekily under the surfboards of surfers who wait eagerly out in the waves for a great set. Sometimes he does it out of boredom, other times with the intention of chaos in mind. He recalls a few years back at one beach in Hawaii when one poor surfer spotted his fins beneath the board, resulting in shark warning siren blaring and the beach cleared as fast as possible._

_He grins. Gotta keep the humans on their toes somehow._

_Salt water rolls down in sparkling droplets off the siren’s darkly tanned broad shoulders as he hauls himself out of the water, blue-green scales turning to golden skin as he flips around onto the rocks to dry in the shade of the cove he loves, about 100 metres off from the main area of the beach._

_It’s hot, over forty degrees and only midday, and barely a minute passes before Yanjun finds himself slipping his legs back into the water to cope with the unbearable heat, watching the scales appear and glide together seamlessly from the fins to his lower waist. He dips his fingers into the water, swirling them around aimlessly until he feels a shift in the current._

_No, not the current: a pair of fins, more specifically the unique formation and swim technique belonging to-_

_“Hey Zining!”_

_Zining’s head pops up with barely a splash just five metres before him, then slowly swims towards Yanjun’s rock._

_“Nine months isn’t so much time spent apart that I need to bother putting some clothes on, is it?” Yanjun flashes his dimples cheekily. “Not strangers yet, are we?”_

_Taking one look at the trouble expression on the female’s face, his grin fades and he holds his hand out to her, the other arm braced on her waist as he pulls her beside him. She seems much weaker than he saw her last- and she was always less healthy than she ought to be, as was he- but the obvious fragility and weight loss on her frame was not lost on him. Most unfortunate was the decrease in the roundness of her cheeks, the absent fullness giving her a more hollow appearance._

_“Zining. What’s going on?”_

_He eyes her worriedly, a dull pain aching in his chest as Zining stares blankly at the waves before them, not even flinching as they curl and rush toward them to explode at their feed in pearl white foam. She raises her hands to her hair, tangling her fingers in her curls as if to detangle them, but lacking the real energy to do so._

_Yanjun sighs heavily. In the two hundred years he’d known Zining, the silver-haired male had come to realise that the hardest part about being close with the female was that… you never really could be. Well, that and her significantly morally questionable compass, he thinks wryly. As a siren himself, it wasn’t possible for Zining to use her watersong to charm him as she once had. He found this nature of hers to be more akin to the Fae, sweet words telling the truth to deliver a lie._

_After all, he’d dated enough Fae to be uncomfortably acquainted with their ways._

_Perhaps he should simply be single._

_He shakes his head to bring himself back to the siren at hand, the other remaining silent as she twists her long curls to wring the saltwater out and back into the sea as it pools on the rocks by her feet before flowing backwards, out with the tide. He watches as her hair dries quickly, turning back to perfect curls rather than the tangled frizz the humans deal with on their trips to the beach._

_“Zi-“_

_“Qiuzi.”_

_Yanjun blinks, turning to face her. “Yes?”_

_She speaks again, her tone cool and distant. “She doesn’t have much time left.”_

_Ah, no. **This** was the hardest part about being friends with Zining. The cold, uncaring siren. The one who so couldn’t bear to accept her fate that she let her despair consume her, and as time went by she became more and more passive in her actions, her anger driving her to become an apathetic creature, uncaring to the point of hurting herself- and yet never others. _

_It wasn’t that others didn’t hurt in her presence, but rather that she refused to see anyone’s pain as something she should help with. Hell, she never even helped herself._

_“We can help her,” Yanjun says forcefully. “We can give her more time.”_

_Zining just looks at him dully, and Yanjun sighs heavily, knowing the impossibility._

_“Renyu seems cool. Her voice is beautiful.” Her voice cracks, her eyes filling with tears. “I miss Zixuan.”_

_Yanjun reaches out to her, sliding his thumb under her wet lower lash line. “I do, too.”_

_They sit in silence for a moment when Yanjun jerks up straight, sensing movement in the water. “There’s someone over there,” he slips into the water quickly, a hand out for Zining to come after him._

_She takes it and drops past him underwater, kicking down a few metres and then bobbing back up beside him. “It’s just a human baby.”_

_“So far under?” A pained expression clouds the male siren’s face. “I’m going to go get her.”_

_Zining places an arm across his chest. “You can’t save everyone.”_

_“She’s a child-“_

_“It’s not our place to interfere-“_

_“It’s not anyone’s place to let an innocent die,” Yanjun says sharply, pushing the other’s arm away. “We can’t help Qiuzi. We couldn’t help Zixuan. But you’re not stopping me now.”_

_With that he dives down and rockets off toward the child, leaving Zining aghast in a swirl of bubbles and foam. “Fuck,” she says, then reluctantly follows after him._

_As she reaches the two, Zining sees the child no longer kicking or struggling, stress evident on Yanjun’s face. She swims to him, taking the child into her grasp and softly putting her lips against the smaller being’s, breathing into the tiny body, cradling it against her chest as she shoots back in the direction of their cove._

_Zining rolls the child onto the flattest rock as she pulls herself up, confused at this sudden adrenaline rush and wondering why she’s suddenly so interested in this useless human._

_“Careful!”_

_Yanjun is there, lifting the child’s head while she coughs and splutters, water spilling down her chest and panicked tears falling from her wide brown eyes._

_“A little girl,” Zining muses, watching as the child blinks as she registers her surroundings, Yanjun’s delight at her survival evident in his now starry eyed expression. “She’s quite small, but looks older than I thought before. Maybe three or four?”_

_Before Yanjun can reply, the sound of frantic screams reach their ears, the wind carrying the sound across from the main beach._

_Zining rolls her eyes. “Oh, now they want her.”_

_“I’m sure they’re very upset,” Yanjun says, smiling a little. He helps the girl up. “I’ll take you back to your mum and dad, angel.”_

_The child nods, bottom lip quivering but seeming calmer now, watching curiously as Yanjun slips back into the water, holding his arms out to her._

_“Wait.”_

_Zining unties the vial that rests against the hollow of her throat, leaning down to tie it around the child’s neck. “Good luck,” she says softly, kissing the girl’s forehead lightly._

_She watches as the girl climbs onto Yanjun’s broad shoulders, the male siren darting off towards the rocks by the main shore, silver hair glinting in the sun as he takes care to keep the girl’s head above the waves._

_The mother’s shriek upon seeing her child is something of an annoyance to Zining, a scowl scrawled across her face when Yanjun returns to her. He doesn’t bother to climb out of the water now, preferring to float aimlessly after such an unexpected ordeal._

_After a few moments of silence, Yanjun turns his head toward Zining, assessing her subtly. “Why the vial? What are you going to tell Kimberley and Lu?”_

_Zining shrugs, a faraway look in her eyes as the little girl holds tightly onto her parents’ hands while they simultaneously scold and kiss her. “I must have misplaced it.”_

******

 

Feeling the familiar buzz of a text message, Linong glances down eagerly at the lit up screen.

_[7:15 am] MUM: have a great day at school, Nongie x_

He sighs, shooting back an _I love you_.

He hasn’t heard a word from Zhangjing since the night by the river, two weeks ago, the sorcerer choosing to ignore his apprentice’s texts and annoyingly ensure he was never home whenever Linong came by to check on him.

To prevent his parents from asking about his tutoring sessions, Linong has been passing the usual time either alone or with Yanjun. It is hard with Yanjun at times; Linong doesn’t know what to say about Zhangjing, so for the most part they avoid the topic in favour of Mimi (i.e. the siren teasing the younger) or discussing spells and powers, and lastly, Linong’s favourite thing: listening to snapshots of Yanjun’s past.

Linong tugs his earphones out of his ears, the chatter and movement of the street loudly intruding his thoughts in seconds. Three school children nearly bowl him down as he pushes open the door to Café Blush, and as always Linong finds himself wondering why he must be interested in a girl who works at the busiest café in the entire town. “Mimi, I’m sorry I’m late, I-“

“Hey, sweetie!”

Linong stops dead in the doorway, staring ahead into ice cold dark eyes, not matching the cheerful tone of the greeting. Kimberley smiles at him widely from behind the counter, the siren not breaking eye contact as she hands a takeaway cappuccino to a waiting customer. Beside her at the coffee machine Lucia grins, raising a hand in greeting. “What can we get for you?”

“Uh,” Linong moves cautiously forward, letting the customer past him. “Nice to see you again… where is Xuanyi?”

“Xuanyi?” Lucia blinks, a questioning expression on her face.

Kimberley rolls her eyes, flicking a tea towel sharply against the dark haired siren.

“Ow!”

“The former barista here. You met her twice, Lu.”

Linong’s eyes flash wide in shock, tripping as he rushes closer to the counter, nearly knocking a waiting coffee. “Wait former? What do you mean? Where is she?”

Kimberley looks at him flatly, moving the cup to the side. “Haven’t you heard? She’s been missing for two days now.”

Linong finds himself unable to speak for a few seconds, then gulps. His voice is dry, cracked. “I- I didn’t come into town over the weekend.”

“Linong.”

Mimi appears from the kitchen, walking quickly past the sirens and to the store-front, wrapping her arms around Linong’s shoulders, burying her face in his neck. “I only found out this morning,” she whispers shakily. “An officer came by earlier to ask when I last saw her. I haven’t seen her since my last shift on Friday night.”

She pulls away to look up at Linong. “The police say she never made it home.”

Kimberley and Lucia watch the two with interest, and Linong feels his chest tighten, discomforted by their nonchalance and a fearful certainty that the two knew more than they were letting on. _But why would they… they don’t even know Xuanyi. Right?_

Sensing the boy getting lost in his thoughts, Mimi takes his arm and tugs him back towards the door and outside, Linong gasping as the cold morning air brings him back to his senses.

Mimi shakes him roughly. “I can’t help being suspicious about this, but I think they have something to do with it.”

Linong grimaces. “I’m with you on that.”

“They show up, she disappears, they get her job.”

“Mimi-“

“I’m not saying it’s about a job.” Mimi shakes her head with a bitter laugh. “This job isn’t _that_ great. But I don’t trust them.”

“You think they had a reason to get rid of her?”

“I think they needed a reason to get closer to me.”

“And they’d need this job to do that?”

“Look, I don’t think Xuanyi’s gone because these two showed up and felt like serving pumpkin spice lattes all day. But there’s something off here and it’s got to be something to do with me and you and everyone else in your circle. They bee lined straight for us from the second they got here.”

Linong frowns. “You’re sure of this?”

He’s sure of it himself, but he needs Mimi’s reassurance that he isn’t crazy, to know the million conspiracy theories running through his head about these three new girls in town isn’t the result of some random bout of paranoia.

Mimi breathes in deeply, still shaky and on edge from Xuanyi’s disappearance. “Call it instinct.”

“We’ll figure this out, us and Yanjun. And Zhangjing, if he ever pulls his head out of the ground any time soon.” Linong reaches for her hand, wraps his large hand tightly round her smaller one, trying to stop the huge smile spreading across his face when she squeezes back.

He can’t stop it, and Mimi smiles back, always so taken with Linong’s wonderfully authentic eye smile that manages to bring a rosy flush to her cheeks despite the situation.

“We need Yanjun to get that third siren talking. I’ve already texted him, but he says she’s tight lipped.”

“Pity siren-talk doesn’t work on other sirens.”

Mimi blows her hair out of her eyes in frustration, sets her jaw. “Something’s gotta give.”

 

******

Xukun sits at the dining table, mug of cool blood in hand with a bottle of blackcurrant juice beside him in case he has to explain anything away.

Tonight, Justin has finally managed to convince Ziyi that his room is clean enough for guests over, and as of this moment the lounge room is a screaming pile of boys wrestling atop of Justin and Chengcheng’s mattresses put together in front of the TV, all the pillows in the apartment suddenly found and brought in for an ultimate pillow fight.

Beside Xukun sits Ziyi, drinking a glass of milk, obvious distress showing on his face at the tell-tale sound of yet another pillow tearing, shrieks of delight as feathers float down to the carpet.

“I thought Linong was going to be here to keep them all in check,” Ziyi says in dejected confidence to the vampire. “That was literally the only reason I allowed the heathens to bring more heathens into my home.”

Xukun bites his cheek to keep from smiling. “You do remember it is technically _their_ home-“

“Don’t say that.”

The doorbell sounds, and Justin rushes over to fling open the door immediately. “Ting!” He cries happily, throwing his arms around the elder man.

“This is Zhengting, Xukun’s boyfriend,” Justin says excitedly, gesturing to the purple haired faerie who smiles brilliantly at the young werewolf’s friends who come to stand just behind Justin, each of them gazing unabashedly at the elder man.

Ziyi’s eyes dart to Xukun with interest at the title, but the vampire makes no move to correct him. Zhengting meets his eyes across the room and winks.

“Zhengting, this is Quanzhe and Zhenghao!”

“Hi!” Zhenghao grins, pushing his glasses back up his nose. The faerie smiles back at him warmly.

“You’re… ridiculously good looking,” Quanzhe manages, turning beet red and tugging the blanket around his shoulders over his face.

“Thank you,” Zhengting giggles. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a DVD. “Look what I brought, upon my son’s request!”

Justin yelps, taking it and leaping over the couch to start the movie immediately. He snuggles in between Zhenghao and Chengcheng, Quanzhe already curled up to Zhenghao’s left.

“ _Twilight_ ,” Ziyi reads off the cover before going to settle in his armchair. “It’s been a while.”

“Why are we watching this heretical mess,” Yanchen complains, throwing himself into his armchair in the corner, legs slung over one side.

“Because we want to,” Zhengting sing-songs sweetly, tucking himself into Xukun’s side on the sofa, content as the vampire wraps his arm around his shoulder. “And because it is a work of art.”

Yanchen rolls his eyes.

“Exactly!” Quanzhe says enthusiastically, emboldened by the faerie’s agreement. “The basketball game is unrivalled.”

“My god, you are my new favourite son.”

“Hey!”

Zhengting spreads his hands. “Sorry Justin, but you also admitted to being Team Jacob earlier and that is one mistake I can’t forgive.”

The werewolf growls into his blankets and snatches a chip out of Chengcheng’s hand, munching grumpily and ignoring the other’s protests.

Quanzhe shakes his head sadly. “Edward is the only correct choice.”

“Right again!”

“I like Jacob,” Chengcheng says after multiple jabs in his side from Justin. Zhenghao nods in agreement.

“I found his character rather relatable,” Ziyi says from the other armchair, wearing a rare smug smile.

“ _Et tu, Brute_ ,” Zhengting howls, dramatically clutching at his throat, sending the four young boys on the floor into fits of laughter in their tangle of blankets. He turns to the vampire in the other chair.

Yanchen smirks. “Jacob.”

“Bullshit,” Justin laughs.

“I feel betrayed,” Zhengting sighs as the movie begins. “I can’t stomach this lack of taste.”

Xukun chuckles quietly and kisses the faerie’s nose. “Be quiet and enjoy your ‘masterpiece’ before you tire yourself out.”

******

As the credits roll around, Yanchen notes that all the guests have fallen asleep, the roommates on the verge of sleep but not quite there yet. Xukun doesn’t appear to be asleep, but his eyes are closed and he’s wrapped around Zhengting, and Yanchen doesn’t need that right now. He rises from his armchair, looking down at Justin and Chengcheng.

“Can I talk to you guys?” Yanchen motions his head in the direction of the kitchen, already walking away. Ziyi follows, knocking the younger two as they pretend not to have heard the vampire’s request, Justin attempting to burrow further into Chengcheng’s chest to hide.

“What the fuck, I was just getting comfortable,” Justin hisses, crossing his arms as he scuffles into the kitchen to lean against the bench top.

“Your elbow was digging into me,” Chengcheng says, dropping into a chair. He pulls the fruit bowl towards him and picks up a shiny red apple, biting into it. “So what’s up?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Yanchen chides, pouring two blood bags into a large hufflepuff mug. “Now about-“

“Why do you have a hufflepuff mug when you’re clearly not a hufflepuff?”

Yanchen pauses to glare at Justin’s rude interruption. “One, that has nothing to do with the topic at hand and two, it’s Ziyi’s.”

The younger boys nod in understanding.

“So why not just get your own mug-“

“For the love of GOD, be QUIET and let me speak!”

“Jesus Christ,” mutters Justin.

“Shut it!” Yanchen takes a sip of blood, closing his eyes to relax for a second. “Now. If I may. In his current state, what with- well, whatever he and Zhengting are doing right now- I think Xukun is better off not involved in spying on said faerie… and I need intel.”

“Intel?”

“Anything on Zhengting,” Yanchen elaborates between sips of blood. “Shit’s moving too slowly for me. And unfortunately, this means I’m stuck with you two idiots and my very own domesticated dog to move things forward.”

“Would it kill you to just be nice to me for once,” the older werewolf sighs, tapping away at something on his phone.

“Would it kill you to pay attention?” The vampire shoots back. “This is important. I’m thinking by the end of the week, these two kids can swipe Xukun’s spare key and search Zhengting’s place, files, letters, computers… whatever you can find. Saturdays they’re both out- Zeren performs and Zhengting usually acts out some semblance of bar attendance, if hooking up with customers counts.”

“Well this weekend isn’t really the best time for it,” Ziyi considers, “with the full moon coming up that would just be messy for all of us.”

“What about the full moon?”

The other three turn to stare at Chengcheng.

Ziyi squints. “Uh… the full moon as in, the moon which triggers supernatural entities… specifically werewolves?”

Chengcheng shrugs. “But how does that affect me and Justin?”

The three fall to silence again for a moment, then burst into laughter.

“Oh my god, Chengs,” Justin snorts, “you nearly had me there for a second.”

“Had you where?”

Three pairs of brows shoot into the air, just as Xukun enters the room to catch the last part of the conversation, bags of takeaway rubbish in hand. He walks to the bin amidst the quiet, placing them in while studying the others’ faces.

“Chengcheng,” Justin says quietly, “are you joking?”

Chengcheng stays silent, a perplexed expression across his features.

Xukun drums his fingers on the bench, coming to the realisation that not everyone in the room was on the same page. “Justin, did you ever explicitly have the I Am A Big Furry Dog Talk with your best friend here?”

Yanchen snorts.

Ziyi thins his lips at the insult. “Perhaps not the best way to phrase that-“

“Wait.” Chengcheng stares at the younger boy as if he sprouted antennae. “You’re a werewolf?”

Justin closes his eyes.

“Like Ziyi?” Chengcheng’s eyes widen.

“YES, OH MY GOD,” Justin screams, smashing his fist down onto the table and knocking over the fruit bowl.

Ziyi cringes at the mess but doesn’t move to pick it up.

A look of hurt comes over Chengcheng’s face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Chengcheng, I’ve literally transitioned in front of you!” Justin is nearing hysterics, an incredulous expression on his face. “You braided my fur when you were drunk one time!”

Xukun steps back, raising his hands. “Okay, what-“

“Fan Chengcheng, answer me!”

“Look man, I don’t know!” Chengcheng finally bursts out, rifling a hand through his already messy blonde hair. “I just figured you were on some furry bullshit or something I don’t know, man!”

Justin stands still in shock, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Xukun and Yanchen remain glued to the kitchen bench, eyes flitting back and forth between the younger boys.

“You said it yourself, I was drunk!”

The werewolf clenches and unclenches his fists over and over as if to ground himself before announcing, “I’m- not speaking to you for a week.”

He turns on his heel and leaves the room.

Xukun clears his throat. “You could have at least said puberty or something, man.”

“Why is he so upset about being called a furry?” Chengcheng creases his brows together, appearing genuinely staggered.

Yanchen rolls his eyes. “I’m going to start making school lunches.”

Chengcheng watches glumly as Yanchen moves to open the fridge door, assessing the contents. Xukun comes to stand by Chengcheng, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go out for a bit. I’ll buy you some McDonalds.”

******

After two weeks of no Zhangjing stopping by to top up Zhengting’s supplies, Zhengting had approached Ruibin one afternoon on one of the elf’s routine check-ups on _Archangel_. The faerie seemed upset that he had not seen the sorcerer and expressed a need for new spells and juices, and naturally upon seeing Zhengting’s distress Ruibin had immediately offered to go to the black market to retrieve the stock himself.

Naturally, Zhengting had made no mention of their encounter in the club bathroom the last time they saw each other. “He probably doesn’t even remember seeing me.”

“That’s not an excuse. Just because you’re so forgiving does not mean I have to be,” Zhou Rui says crossly, brushing past the guards after flashing his ID at them.

Ruibin bows apologetically as he walks swiftly to catch up to the shorter’s impatient steps. “Rui. Please.”

Zhou Rui stops abruptly, turning to face his friend with a sigh. “So, your plan is to distract yourself from Zhu Zhengting by doing a favour for him?” Zhou Rui says, crossing his arms.

Ruibin scratches his neck, sheepish. “Something like that.”

The smaller elf spreads his hands helplessly. “If you weren’t such a good person I would’ve kicked your ass a long time ago, Bin.”

“If I wasn’t a good person I wouldn’t be throwing myself at people who don’t want me and then continuing to be at their beck and call at the drop of a hat.”

Zhou Rui purses his lips. “You are an absolute sucker.”

Ruibin scowls. “Go away.”

“Do you want me to date you?” Zhou Rui throws his arms around the taller man’s neck, kissing him loudly on the cheek. “I want someone to do all my work for me.”

“Get off!” Ruibin yelps, shoving the other off with a laugh. “Why are you like this?”

Zhou Rui laughs in reply, stopping as he arrives at the stall they’ve come for. Two figures huddle together at the counter, prodding a syrupy purple substance in a pot.

“This looks so fun!” One of them claps happily, a small girl in a witch hat. She looks up to see Ruibin and Zhou Rui and smiles widely. “Hi! How can we help?”

“We’re just here to pick up some stock for Zhu Zhengting, when you have time,” Zhou Rui says, eyeing the current situation suspiciously.

“Zhengting, of course!” The girl claps her hands. “I’m Meiyun and this is Linkai. I’ll be very happy to help you in just a minute.”

“It’s Xiao Gui,” the boy says, not looking up at all.

Meiyun giggles.

“She unsettles me,” Zhou Rui whispers.

“Everyone unsettles you,” Ruibin replies. He moves to stand across from the boy. “So how long have you been making this?” Ruibin asks curiously. He finds himself interested in the glowing magic before him, although he is not as intrigued by the magic as he is by the sheer concentration on its maker’s face, Linkai’s small nose scrunched up cutely as he focuses on finalising his creation.

“Just the past three weeks,” the boy says, eyes darting around as he watches the potion bubble lightly. “Now, Xiaoqi, bottle it!”

Meiyun quickly tips the purple liquid inside a jar the size of her hand, screwing on the lid as it bubbles and attempts to escape. “It wants to come out and play with us!” The tiny witch laughs, dropping to the floor to find a place for it in the cupboard.

Now finished with the potion, Linkai actually looks at Ruibin for the first time, eyes widening as he gazes at the beautiful elf who seems… so much taller than him. “Too tall,” he mumbles, shoving his hands into his pockets and shuffling quickly to the back of the shop.

Ruibin’s shoulders fall. “Great. We just met and he already hates me.”

A giggle erupts from beside him, and he looks down to see Meiyun fiddling with some jars on the lowest shelf of her cupboard, tiny legs sprawled out for anyone to trip over. “Oh, no, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Ruibin asks, kneeling beside her. He holds out a hand for her to pass him some of the jars while she tries to make space for them all.

Meiyun laughs again, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “He thinks you’re cute, silly.”

Ruibin blushes as Linkai walks out of his stall, makes eye contact with the elf and reddens further, tripping over a box as he scurries back in again.  “Oh.”

“Oh?” Zhou Rui raises a brow.

“Yes,” Ruibin smiles, closing his eyes. “Oh.”

******

Ten minutes late, fifteen minutes since he left the apartment. Yanchen pulls out his phone.

_[10:15 pm] DZR: I’ll be there soon, meet me by the bakery in a few minutes_

He is around though. Yanchen can smell him, the demon’s scent thrown a bit around by the wind, but still strong enough for the vampire to track. He sets off in Zeren’s direction a little hesitantly, having not wanted to resort to stalking, hoping Zeren just got caught up talking to a friend too long.

He winds up in front of an alley five blocks away, unsavoury and dark.

_What on earth is Zeren doing in a filthy alley?_

“How did you find me?”

Zeren’s voice rings out loudly and Yanchen flits closer, leaping up to land softly on the roof of the butchery. He hates to pry, hates more than anything to spy on Zeren. But he was tired of the secrets, tired of his own inability to protect his small boyfriend from his problems. At the very least, he needs to know something, to know enough to help in any way he can.

“You can’t stay here forever,” a blue-haired figure tone is taunting Zeren, circling the small demon as he speaks. “You may have done a good job staying low this far, but if I found you, others will too. And I promise you, there will be others.”

Yanchen grips the roof gutter tightly, teeth gritted.

Zeren wraps his arms round himself, taking a step back from the figure. “I’ll disappear again.”

“And I’ll find you again,” the shadow sneers, “and now that I’ve made contact with you it’ll be that much faster. There’s nowhere you can truly hide from us forever.”

Even from his position on the roof, Yanchen can feel his boyfriend’s fear, despite the brave, almost poker face shown to his aggressor.

“How many times do I have to say no? I’m not interested. In any of it.”

“You know it’s not that simple.”

“It can be.”

A dark laugh rings out. “You don’t get to keep one foot in both worlds. It’s all or nothing. And until you give it all up, we’ll be hounding you to make that decision.”

_One foot in both worlds…_ Yanchen knits his brows together, realising Zeren is facing another of his own kind. _Could it be… would they really care this much?_

Zeren speaks again, voice clear and loud as he faces the taller. “We both know it doesn’t matter what I choose to give up. You won’t respect my decision anyway.”

“We’ll respect the right one.”

Zeren laughs bitterly. “You don’t get to choose what that is.”

The other demon chuckles, and Yanchen edges closer, to the edge of the roof, as close as he can without being too visible.

A second later, Zeren flinches and twists away as the taller jumps closer, grabbing his jaw, and it takes everything in Yanchen’s being not to leap down and sock the stalker in the face.

He leans close to Zeren, who tries not to pull away from the hot breath unpleasantly fanning across his face as the other growls at him lowly. “If you’re smart, you’ll know there’s only one choice. Because at the end of it all, you’ll end up in Hell no matter where you run to, dragged kicking and screaming if it comes to it.”

Zeren is silent.

The demon pulls Zeren to him roughly and kisses him, and it’s cold, unfeeling. A darkness seeps into the atmosphere and Yanchen feels chills run down his back.

“See you soon, my prince.”

The ground begins to shake as the blue-haired demon steps away from Zeren, then a deep crack appears and opens up, and for a moment Yanchen is filled with sheer panic as he hears the demon laugh and expects him to lunge for Zeren.

He doesn’t, just disappears as the ground gives way beneath him, nothing left but an echoing laugh and a flash of red as the earth swallows him up.

Zeren lets out a shaky breath, and as he turns in Yanchen’s direction the vampire can now clearly see just two tears trailing down the smaller’s cheeks, and its all Yanchen can do not to run to him and kiss them away.

Instead, he begins to walk back to the bakery silently, passing Zeren from above as the demon places his hands against his temples, digging his nails in with a cry. “Fuck!”

******

Anyone would tell you it isn’t safe to be walking alone at night, particularly alone in a quiet place, without people around to call for if you need help. They would likely tell you it was particularly not safe for a young girl to be out alone on a beach, especially a girl who feared the ocean so much she could not swim. Not so much as a single stroke in a place where most people swam as naturally as they breathed.

Mimi was one such girl. She had been for years now; she both feared and was impossibly drawn to the ocean, and had been ever since she could remember. After a fight or breakdown over school work, the seashore was where she would come to revive herself. In the afternoons, late at night, right into the a.m., Mimi found herself here over and over every day, lying in the golden sand, close to the water but never touching it.

What scared her was that it was inevitable. Late at night, it was as if she were possessed by some other spirit, guiding her to the ocean’s edge as if to push her into something… she didn’t know what. All Mimi knew was that she tucked herself into bed every night promptly at ten p.m., only to wake up at four a.m. on the beach, just early enough to run home before any early joggers saw her, or worse- her parents saw her coming in the door.

A long time ago it had terrified her. Now she just went along with it.

Mimi pulls her jacket tightly about her shoulders, shivering with cold. Its three a.m. now, but she’s there with purpose today, determined to clear her head about Xuanyi’s disappearance.

Regretfully, that seems to have backfired.

Before she can go back to her thoughts, Mimi freezes, hearing soft singing ahead of her, not far away. She squints, trying to make out a figure but the fog is far too much at this time of night and she feels a bubble of panic rising in her chest.

_What if it’s Kimberley, God, please, this isn’t how I want to go…_

Careful not to slip into the rock pools, Mimi slides down with her back against a large rock, closing her eyes and trying to slow her heart rate as the singing draws closer.

_“The dream that could almost have been fulfilled…”_

Much closer now. Mimi brings a hand to cover her mouth.

_“Yet we were stubborn and impulsive, and walked in different directions…”_

Within such close proximity of the singer, Mimi realises the voice isn’t female, relief washing over her. Suddenly the tone seems more familiar.

_“I just want to hold your hand forever…”_

“Yanjun!”

“Shit!”

She leaps to her feet and smacks the siren across his chest, near hysterical. “You scared the shit out of me!”

Yanjun looks at her incredulously. “What do you think you just did to me?”

Mimi ignores the question. “What the hell are you doing out here at this hour?”

“Just… singing? Enjoying the water, I guess?” Yanjun answers in confusion. “I am a siren, so…”

“But you’re never out here, not at this hour.”

The siren knits his brows. “Well, no, I suppose this is a little further up the beach than I usually go. But how would you know that?”

Mimi sighs. “Because I’m out here every day at this hour. Almost all my spare time. I wind up here no matter what I’d rather be doing.”

“To do what? Swim? Couldn’t you do that at a more- I don’t know- regular hour, perhaps?”

“No need for the sarcasm,” Mimi shoves her hair under her hoodie, tired of the black strands whipping about her face in the freezing morning wind. She sits down in the sand, Yanjun folding himself down beside her. “I don’t swim. I’m terrified of swimming.”

She stares out at the ocean, the waves seeming black in the darkness, most menacing at three a.m. “Most days I don’t know how I get here at all.”

Yanjun turns to look at her, bewildered. “Look I don’t want to freak you out or anything-“

“I think we’re a bit beyond that.”

“It’s just that… this is siren behaviour,” he finishes. “Before fully turning… it is rare to remember anything at night. It’s the hour the ocean calls to us the most. When our powers are at their fullest. For you to be doing this…”

Mimi laughs. “Don’t worry. I’ve been doing this for the past fifteen years now. It’s nothing new.”

Yanjun’s jaw drops. “Fifteen? Impossible. The longest it takes for a transformation is at best a year. And even then, that’s almost unheard of.”

“It can’t be that anyway,” Mimi shakes her head. “You’re the first siren I’ve ever known. This must be some human thing, like sleepwalking or something.”

“If it’s only a human thing, why haven’t you ever gone to see someone about it?”

The younger begins to trace patterns in the sand absently, again focusing on the ocean before her. “I don’t want to worry them, I guess. When I was a kid, I nearly drowned at the beach on a family outing with my parents. Ever since then they’ve always been crazy over protective of me. I don’t think they’d ever trust me again if I told them I’d been waking up alone on the shore at the break of dawn each day.”

“Anyway, I should really get back home,” Mimi says, jumping to her feet. As she does so, something falls to the ground with a soft thunk.

“You dropped your-“

“Yanjun?”

The siren is sitting still, cradling a glass bottle in his hands. Mimi bobs beside him. “It’s not broken is it? The string is really bad, I should have replaced it a while ago now-“

“Mimi.”

She blinks. “Yeah?”

“This is yours?”

“It’s my necklace. I got it a long time ago. My mum gave it to me the day I nearly drowned- as a sort of cheer up present, I suppose, although at the time I didn’t understand why she would give a drowning victim a bottle of sea water but she tried.”

Yanjun looks at her, tears shining in his eyes. “Your mother didn’t give this to you.”

“I’m confused.”

“I felt something in this town,” the siren says quietly. “I never stay anywhere for long. It isn’t safe. But I felt something here- a calling different from the watersong, more personal.” He runs a hand through his windswept dark hair. “The day I arrived here was strange. I spoke with Zhengting. I met Linong. I met you, and felt that I had met you before.”

Silence falls between them, the rush and tumble of the ocean’s waves the only sound Mimi can hear before Yanjun speaks once more.

“It isn’t ocean water you’ve been wearing round your neck the past fifteen years. It’s siren tears.”

Mimi lets out breath she didn’t know she was holding. “You’re the one who saved me that day.”

She throws her arms around the siren, the urge to cry coming over her as she feels him wrap his arms around her and hug right back.

“My parents always told me I was hallucinating, that I must have been washed ashore, perhaps a dolphin pushed me to the sand. But the memory of two figures pulling me up through the sea- it was so vivid…”

“Zining was with me that day.”

Mimi pulls away. “Kimberley’s friend? Why were you with her?”

Yanjun inclines his head with a half shrug. “Friends is a strong word. I’ve known all three of those girls a long time. Zining the longest. She isn’t quite like them, but she’s not quite like me either. Those are actually her tears around your neck. She told Kimberley later she lost them. Kim didn’t take it so well, but Zining has remained… fairly intact, for what it’s worth.”

Mimi considers this. “So that’s why both you and Zining are here, why we have this… connection.”

“Truthfully, I was prepared to leave the night I arrived. I came here with the intention to see Zhengting for the first time in… a while… and I didn’t know what it was that I felt in your presence. I was going to give it up.” The siren stands up, holding a hand out to help the younger up. “Zining hasn’t told me why she’s here. But if I had to guess, it’s for you. And not just a friendly check-up either.”

“I got the vibe it wasn’t a friendly visit,” Mimi smiles, dusting the sand from her clothes.

The two set off down the beach, back towards Mimi’s home, each with their hands tucked into their pockets to withstand the icy morning breeze.

“Yanjun, if you didn’t stay for me or Zhengting that day, then who did you stay for?”

Yanjun lets out a deep breath, the cold air clouding visibly in front of him.

“I stayed for You Zhangjing.”

******

_Spread across one of the many far too large, blood-red lounges in the room, head thrown back over the velvet arm, Wenjun gazes up at the pattern of archangels and clouds brought to life with loving strokes of glorious greens, blues, pinks and golds across the incredibly high ceiling of the mansion’s giant library. Although, could he really call the place a mansion? After finally leaving his quarters during the tenth month of his residency in Xinchun’s home, Wenjun realised that the place was far bigger than he had initially suspected._

_He traces his finger lightly up and down the spine of the book he held loosely in one hand: Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and he didn’t need a second glance at the yellowed, almost breakable pages of the novel to know that Xinchun’s library only held original copies. Wenjun swings one leg over the other and adjusts an arm to rest beneath his head, careful not to knock the precariously stacked mountain of books piled beside him. Focusing on the wings of one small cherub- dainty and white, with just the tiniest trickle of gold to create a truly alluring image- he faintly remembers Xinchun telling him that Michelangelo had been the one to paint every fresco in the building, as well as claiming the Italian renaissance artist to be a close friend of his own maker._

_“Can’t have been that close if he let him die,” Wenjun mutters cynically, absently twisting his engagement ring round his finger. He ponders on the fact that Xinchun’s maker could have simply turned Michelangelo and thus immortalised one of the greatest artists of all time, but perhaps they’d had some falling out. Jilted lover, perhaps? Wenjun snickers at the thought._

_The double doors of the library open and close with no sound but a quick rush of air, and Xinchun suddenly appears in the room, visible through the bookshelves ten metres away from Wenjun. He walks down the aisle, scanning the shelves without a sound._

_Without any word to Wenjun._

_Today marks exactly seven days since the two last spoke to each other. According to Xinchun, he needed to give Wenjun some space- meaning none of his usual jabs and banter… actually, it turned out to mean nothing at all. Feeders and other vampires entered and left each day, some greeted Wenjun and others did not, and by the third day he found himself not leaving the library at all, the lounge proving comfortable enough to sleep in and the mini fridge having enough blood bags stocked to feed well._

_In that time Wenjun had found Xinchun’s home more confining than usual, not wanting to leave his personal quarters except to go to library lest he run into the older vampire. After months of pushing the red-head out the door, fighting, yelling or just flat out ignoring him, the sudden lack of Xinchun’s constant chatter and sharp humour and general annoying presence felt somewhat off. He even felt he was prepared to watch the other’s messy reality TV shows with him just to have some form of company._

_Since when did I actually want to willingly hang out with Xinchun?_

_Ah, that’s right, he didn’t of course. He was just… bored. And a little empty._

_Wait, no-_

_He shakes his thoughts away as Xinchun takes a book from the shelf, curiosity overcoming his usual urge to ignore the other’s existence as he waits for the older vampire to address him, ask him where he’s been all week- rant about whatever drama he’d been involved in on one of his many twitter accounts._

_Instead, Xinchun moves across the carpet silently, bare feet sinking softly into the plush dark carpet as he opens the double doors leading to the balcony attached to the library, moonlight streaming into the room turning the carpet silver, and the evening breeze wafting in to ripple the sleeves of Wenjun’s large striped pyjama shirt. He then darts away, settling a delicate tea cup on the coffee table before curling up on a lounge directly opposite Wenjun._

_All without so much as a glance in Wenjun’s direction._

_Hmph._

_Twenty minutes pass, and Wenjun does nothing but study the red-head as he turns page after page of his novel, his constantly changing facial expressions due to his engrossment in the story keeping Wenjun thoroughly entertained._

_Thirty more minutes pass, which Wenjun spends flat on his stomach as he eyes the other, one leg and one arm dangling lazily off the couch as if he were an overgrown cat. His lashes flutter prettily, tiredness washing over him as a result of both the evening drawing near and almost total boredom._

_It’s only two minutes later when Wenjun gives in to his curiosity and rolls languidly off the couch, then climbs slowly to his feet. If Xinchun noticed Wenjun thumping onto the floor he wasn’t showing any sign of it. He grumbles under his breath before padding across the carpet to sit beside Xinchun._

_“What are you reading?”_

_The smaller vampire looks up with a slight jerk, a hint of surprise evident in his dark eyes as Wenjun’s approach. He angles the book so Wenjun can see a black background highlighted by white arms cradling a red apple. Twilight. _

_Wenjun cracks up, head tilted back in laughter. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”_

_Xinchun frowns. “I like it. I wish we really did only sparkle in the light. Something so ridiculous would be a small price to pay just to be able to see the sun again.”_

_There’s a wistful look in the red-head’s eyes that tugs at Wenjun’s heartstrings: he knows the feeling of being trapped in the dark, of being permanently stuck with only artificial light, of never being able to experience the sun’s warmth on his skin again. Facetious as the concept of a sparkling vampire seemed, it would be a welcoming change to the true fate of a vampire. Wenjun was okay with being silly. Silly was merciful. And clearly Xinchun felt that way too._

_“I’ve never read it,” Wenjun says aloud. He can feel Xinchun’s eyes on him. “Zhengting made me watch some of the movie one time, but I’d had a late shift at work and barely made it past the first ten minutes.” He chuckles a little. “He was upset I missed a baseball game, I think?”_

_“The baseball game is the best part,” Xinchun whispers softly._

_Wenjun glances up, surprised at the vulnerability in his tone. Xinchun gazes back, red tears glistening in his eyes. After a few seconds he blinks them away, clears his throat._

_“You can read it to me, if you want.”_

_Xinchun’s eyes light up. “Are you sure? From a literary perspective the writing definitely isn’t great, and-“_

_“Xinchun. It’s fine.”_

_“But I-“_

_“Really.” Wenjun smiles. A genuine smile._

_The corners of Xinchun’s lips turn up as he notices Wenjun’s smile and he begins to flip backwards through the book to the first page while twisting around on the lounge, leaning against the chair arm as he slings his legs over Wenjun’s lap. The smaller vampire looks up at the taller hesitantly though his eyelashes, giving the latter the opportunity to move them._

_Wenjun doesn’t._

_“Okay… Wenjun. I’ll start.”_

_Wenjun’s heart stops at hearing his real name, having only been addressed as ‘darling’ for over sixteen months now; the last person to call him by his name was Zhengting, in a searing scream of panic the night Wenjun… disappeared. It was startling and bittersweet to hear once more, but also felt like something was… lifted from him. A fear that he was not forgotten. After everything, he was still Bi Wenjun._

_He closes his eyes for a calming second before opening them and staring right at the red-head, a little intensely perhaps, if the older vampire’s wide eyes were anything to go by. Wenjun represses a chuckle and nods, smile deepening the longer he watches the nervous actions of the other._

_Xinchun finally breaks eye contact, eyes focused only on the novel now. He stills his shaky hands by gripping the sides of the book tightly and begins to read aloud: “’I’d never given much thought to how I would die—though I’d had reason enough in the last few months—but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this’.”_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) jasper, charlie, alice and carlisle are the best twilight characters and i didnt even mention them; heavenly father please forgive me
> 
> 2) if you're starting to feel im going down the idiotic riverdale writers' way and not keeping my storylines intact, you *could* be right but for now please have faith,,, ive actually had the entire story mapped out from chapter 1 so everything will link up over time (im expecting roughly 14 ?? chapters?? and an epilogue but i may later decide to divide the chapters differently which could affect this
> 
> 3) any comments or questions are really welcome,,, i have had writer's block and on/off mental health issues but talking about shit really gets me going //// thank you to those still reading, it means so much to me <3333


	9. Bloodspell; Why?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more of yanjun turning out to be a lot more relevant than y'all expected ;;;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i said i'd have this up 2 days ago but better than my last break off 4 months or whatever so !!
> 
> (uploading at 6 am, if there's a ton of mistakes dw i'll check through this when i wake up hhfhgdjks)

_“Shouldn’t we… start cleaning up? Or something?”_

_Yanjun rolls his head back to lean against the lounge, chest heaving as he tries to get his breath back, lips swollen and kiss bitten from where Zhengting has him pinned firmly in place. Neither of the two have bothered to close the blinds despite the mid-winter darkness setting in, leaving the house much colder than it needed to be._

_“Wenjun is going to be back in…” Zhengting leans back just far enough to read the clock on the wall in the kitchen, “seven minutes.”_

_Yanjun pulls him back into a kiss. “Only seven?”_

_“Where did all the time go?” Zhengting giggles against the Yanjun’s lips, threading his hands through silver hair. He shuffles backwards to slip to the floor between the siren’s legs and rests his palms on his thighs, eyes sparkling and grinning up at the other. He begins unbuttoning Yanjun’s jeans deftly. “But I can make it work.”_

******

“So you’re saying you personally put this spell on Zhengting….” Linong squints in confusion. “Why exactly?”

Linong sits between Yanjun and Zhangjing in Zhangjing’s kitchen, the three of them sitting tensely at the dining table facing a mass of opened spell books and untouched plates of baked goods which Zhangjing has been eyeing off for the past ten minutes but strangely neglected to eat.

Personally, Yanjun was disgusted to be awake at five am but hadn’t argued when the younger boy had asked him to come round. He supposed Linong hoped that he and Zhangjing would reconcile.

As if Yanjun had any say in that.

“ _In_ Zhengting,” Zhangjing replies, fidgeting with a pencil. “Specifically, infused in his veins. Can be risky, but hey, I’m good at what I do.”

“I don’t think the spell in Zhengting’s veins is fair to Xukun,” Yanjun says abruptly. “I barely know the guy but Jesus, it’s too close to hypnotism… or… I don’t know the right word for it. But it’s off. Someone has to tell him about it.”

“I’m not going to listen to a siren talk about morals.”

Yanjun slams his hand down on the table, hard. “Can’t you just get over this shit already?”

 “I still can’t trust him,” Zhangjing spits out, not looking in Yanjun’s direction. “I can’t trust him, I can’t trust Zhengting, who I thought has been my friend these past couple of years, I can’t- I don’t know. I don’t know _anything_. And… I’m so tired of it.”

“I agree with Yanjun,” Linong interjects. He can feel the sorcerer’s glare burning holes in his skin but chooses to ignore it. “Even if Xukun was already interested in Zhengting before… this… this could become really confusing for them. Although maybe that’s what Zhengting wants-“

 “I’m not done here.” The sorcerer stands up, gesturing at Yanjun. “Both you and Zhengting are so incredibly confusing and you need to go and figure your shit out and then come and talk to me when you’re ready to quit screwing me around!”

Before the other two have time to move, Zhangjing pulls his portal stone out of his bag and throws it on the floor, leaping through it without another word.

The two stare at the puff of smoke left behind.

“Hold up, how long has he been able to do that?”

Linong sighs. “A while now.” He looks tired, the stress of his mentor clearly affecting him just as much as Zhangjing and Yanjun themselves. “Look, I’m so sick of being stuck in the middle of you two, every day, twenty-four-seven. You have to sit down properly and talk this out. Make him listen, no matter how petty he acts over it. I’m not saying any of this is your fault, Yanjun, really, but… if one of you is going to make the first move it’s not going to be the stubborn one.”

“I can be stubborn…”

Linong laughs quietly. “I haven’t been smiling as much lately, and both of you make me so happy. But when you’re together now it just isn’t working. I know you’ve tried. I know you like him. But you need to tell him the _truth_ \- and I mean all of it- if we’re ever to sort this out. Do it for me, please.”

Yanjun watches as the younger boy reaches for his school bag, preparing to leave. “Have fun at school, Nongnong.”

“I will,” Linong says sarcastically, but shoots the siren a smile anyway. “Think about what I said.”

******

Justin finishes buttoning up the last button on his shirt before slipping his tie around his neck. He thanks Xukun silently again for having repeatedly done it for him so many times; he was really starting to get the hang of it now.

Light snoring sounds from the bottom bunk where Chengcheng lies, sprawled across the bed, one long leg and an arm hanging off the edge. His sheets are on the floor- Chengcheng had a habit of kicking them off during his sleep- and Justin bends to pick them up, carefully throwing them back over the older boy.

He hesitates before tugging them all the way up to Chengcheng’s chin. He’s been avoiding the older boy since the Furry Accusation, both out of spite and embarrassment. Part of him is annoyed at Chengcheng for not understanding his situation, the other part of him feels ashamed for not talking to the older boy properly about it. God knows the topic isn’t really one to just half ass but… was there ever really a good time to tell your best friend that you’re a werewolf?

Reflecting on it all made Justin realise how completely non-floored Chengcheng was about the whole thing. And while he would have initially chalked that up to the two of them being roommates with two vampires and a werewolf already, Justin realise that Chengcheng hadn’t really been too fazed by that at the time either.

“What the fuck, anyway.” He sighs, taking one last look at his sleeping friend and then packs his homework into his bag and walks out.

“Oh hey, kid.”

Ziyi smiles as the younger werewolf exits his room. He quietly closes the bedroom door, not wanting to wake up Chengcheng, and walks over to the shoe rack to get his shoes, then sits at the table to put his them on.

“Morning, bro.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have any breakfast ready for you,” Ziyi says, ignoring the younger boy’s jab. “I can fix you something now, I just wasn’t expecting you up this early. This is earlier than our run time, are you busy today? Something on at school?”

Justin shakes his head, standing up and pulling his school bag over his shoulders. “Nah, I just woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Everything okay?”

Justin moves to the door, smiling at Ziyi. The older werewolf holds a mug in his hands, still wearing his striped pajamas and looking for all the world like a fully-functioning father of a couple of young kids. Honestly, he may as well be at this point.

“Yeah, I’m good. I just want to be up today for some reason.”

Ziyi laughs. “Okay kid, but you realise you’re too early for the bus right?”

“Oh shit, yeah.” Justin pauses in the doorway, mulling his options over. He checks his phone for the time: 5:45 am. “It’s okay, I have time to walk all the way in and get breakfast on top of that. And Linong will be there early as always so… I’ll hang out with him.”

He closes the door and heads down the hall, popping his earphones in as he enters the elevator.

******

If Zeren had been clever about his time management and planning for the day, he would have checked the weather the night before and known that it would be less than ten degrees and likely to storm, thus resulting in an influx of customers fleeing the outdoors to shelter in the warmth of his favourite- and usually fairly empty- café.

As it is, Zeren is lucky to have even found a seat, slipping into a tiny table tucked in at the back, by a window facing the street. He stares absentmindedly out of it, alternating between mindlessly stirring his coffee and taking small sips of it. While he could handle any level of heat, he preferred his ‘hot’ drinks rather cooled down, bordering on lukewarm, if he was honest.

Zhengting hated it.

A group of school girls run by, blazers held over their heads and half-laughing, half-shrieking about their hair. He notices two taller figures walking behind them, not bothering to run as they share a large red umbrella between them. They come to a stop just by the window, and Zeren recognises Justin with his friend Linong, the slightly taller dark-haired boy swiftly exchanging a bottle with an envelope held out to him by the middle-aged woman running the town bakery.

As he considers the pros of going to greet them (they’re good kids, and why not?), and the cons (he is comfortable in his chair, and hasn’t finished his borderline lukewarm coffee), he feels a presence behind him, turning to a tall, blue-haired figure.

“How are you, my Prince?”

Zeren scowls. “Go away, Dinghao.”

The demon looks down at the shorter of the two, brow raised arrogantly. “You don’t seem quite as shaken as you did our last encounter?”

He slides into the chair across from Zeren, eyeing him for a moment while Zeren drinks his coffee in silence, eyes downcast and trained on studying the rose pattern of the tablecloth.

“Talk to me, Ren. Don’t you miss me?”

There’s a slight pout on his lips, cute but familiar in a way Zeren doesn’t enjoy. In the dim grey light, Dinghao’s hair took on an almost silver colour, and combined with his rosebud lips and pale skin with just the slightest tone of blue to it, the demon looked truly ethereal, albeit without the glamour he perhaps looked as if he should check into a hospital with a case of frostbite.

“We had fun didn’t we?” Dinghao moves his hand over Zeren’s. “Wait, don’t answer that. I know we did.”

Zeren tugs his hand away and leans back in his chair, eyes rolled skyward. “That was then. This is now.”

“Soon everything will be just as it used to be.”

“I would rather die than live that life again,” Zeren snaps, almost knocking over the remains of his coffee.

Dinghao grabs Zeren’s chin, digs his sharp nails into the other’s skin, marking it but not enough to draw blood. “Keep fucking around and you just might.”

The waitress appears in front of them, polite smile upon her face. “Is everything okay here?”

Dinghao smiles charmingly, standing to leave. “Just peachy.” He bends to kiss Zeren’s head. “See you soon, pretty boy.”

By the time Zeren gathers his composure enough to exit the café, he glances back out the window. It had begun to rain at some point. Justin and Linong are no longer there, and he wonders if they’ll go to school early to escape the downpour.

He walks to the counter to pay the bill. The waitress from before accepts his cash, but tries to make eye contact with him, concerned from what she saw at the table. Zeren keeps his head down and thanks her quietly, backing out the door into the rain, ice-cold air hitting him in the face, raindrops so harsh he expects it to begin hailing shortly.

The street is busy with cars and school buses driving past, orange lights flashing and reflecting prettily along the wet footpaths, and everyone is rushing from door to door, determined not to get caught in the rain.

Zeren pauses, taking it all in. Then he buttons his puffer coat all the way up, tugs on the hood, pulls his scarf tighter round his neck and sets off down the street at a comfortable pace, deciding to enjoy the cold weather while he can.

******

Zhengting twists the keys into the lock of Chengcheng’s and Justin’s apartment, biting his lip quietly as the door creaks upon opening it. He slips inside, closing it carefully, then takes his coat off and places it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, leaving his shoes on the floor next to it.

The apartment is dead silent, the two vampires asleep of course, but…

He pokes his head into the small living room. No Ziyi, as he expected, but one could never be too sure. The faerie hesitates for a moment before opening the shared bedroom of the older three, a silent prayer on his lips when it doesn’t creak like the front door.

Xukun is splayed out on the bottom bunk, blonde hair fanned out across the pillow and sheets only covering his lower body, wearing a grey tank top rather than his pajama shirt which is still tossed over a chair in the corner.

Above him on the top bunk, Zhengting can only see Yanchen’s body outline, the vampire choosing to shroud himself fully in the sheets and blankets. With the amount of times Yanchen wishes he were dead Zhengting wonders if the vampire sleeps while imagining himself in a coffin.

Yanchen was weird like that.

 _2 pm_ , Zhengting’s phone reads. He nods to himself, thankful for the coma-like sleep of the vampires. He kneels beside Xukun and slips his hand under the blonde’s pillow, sliding his phone out.

He gets to his feet and pads quietly across the floor and out into the lounge room, settling in Yanchen’s armchair, placing a pillow on his lap. He enters Xukun’s passcode and taps on his messages, scrolling through his recents quickly.

 _Wang Ziyi, Zhu Zhengting, Zhou Yanchen_ …. He continues scrolling until one name jumps out at him: _Mu Ziyang_.

_That name, where do I know that name?_

Zhengting bangs his fist against his forehead, wracking his brain for the memory.

_Archangel._

The night he met Xukun, when Ruibin brought him the photos of the clan who had apparently been responsible for Wenjun’s disappearance- Mu Ziyang was in those pictures, the faerie remembers his face well.

But Xukun spent almost all of his time with Zhengting now, and in his less sober moments the vampire had confessed little fragments of his past that Zhengting had stored away in his brain and later written down in his notes, patiently creating a timeline of everything that happened, and everyone connected to that night.

One thing Zhengting knew now: Cai Xukun was not part of the clan Mu Ziyang was part of.

Each of the clans ranged in size, some significantly more important than others. The lowest ranking clans simply had a designated head, higher ranking clans had a prince or princess to lead them, and clans ranked highest consisted only of royalty.

Initially, Zhengting had believed Xukun to be the prince of that clan, based on the information Ruibin and Zhou Rui had turned up, but just two weeks ago another of Zhengting’s contacts had informed him that the prince of that clan is someone by the name of Ling Chao.

Zhengting frowns. He’d never heard the name before. But then again, Xukun had never mentioned him. Furthermore, the faerie has counted three separate occasions whereby Xukun has made statements alluding to the fact that he was never in frequent company of non-royals; their first date at the night market had already made Zhengting fairly certain of that.

Which would indicate that Xukun is in one of the highest ranking clans- those with the best security, hidden away, and almost impossible to track down. With the resources and money to disappear for decades- even centuries- the royals were rarely even seen unless by other royals at various balls and parties, if at all. So why would Xukun be slumming it with Yanchen, two werewolves and a human in a tiny apartment in a small town?

He opens the messages under Ziyang’s name, and there’s only one:

_[11:23 pm] MZY: give me three days. I’ll message on the day, so don’t make plans._

Monday.

Zhengting hums in agreement. _Works for me_. _Perhaps I’ll be sick Monday_ , he muses. Not that Xukun can get sick… being dead and all. Zhengting grimaces _. I suppose I’ll have to just tell him I feel too shit to see anyone at all._

That probably wouldn’t work either.

“Ugh,” he groans, standing up.

Footsteps sound from outside the door, and Zhengting freezes as Ziyi’s keys jangle in the lock. The faerie hisses under his breath and half runs, half tiptoes out of the living room and back into the bedroom, closing the door quietly.

He rolls onto the bed beside Xukun, sliding the phone back in place, then turns on his side, not facing the vampire. He can hear bags hitting the counter, then the fridge opening, and closes his eyes, trying to slow his breathing down, hoping to do so before Ziyi enters.

Still asleep, Xukun wraps his arms round Zhengting’s waist and tugs him close, snuggling his face in the faerie’s neck. It tickles slightly, but Zhengting doesn’t move. Instead he relaxes into the vampire’s hold, just wanting to rest for a little while.

******

The market is bustling with life when Ruibin arrives. He knits his brows as he surveys the place. _Ah_ , he remembers, _it opens earlier on Fridays_.

He scoffs at the idea of black markets and night markets following such human fashioned rules as he walks in the direction of Linkai and Meiyun’s stall. If Zhou Rui had noticed the suspiciously nice coat and pants Ruibin wore today, he hadn’t mentioned it.

Truthfully Ruibin felt that he always dressed nicely, but he couldn’t deny that he had put in more effort than usual. _Ah, why, why am I like this?_

“Hey!”

Ruibin gasps, hand to his chest as Meiyun appears out of nowhere. Her hat is missing today and she’s in full casual wear, wearing only black sweat pants and an oversized blue hoodie, chestnut hair stuffed into a bun on top of her head.

“Are you after anything?” The witch reaches into her pants pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “I don’t have any orders for Zhengting, but maybe-“

“Your list is never up to date because you’re a scatterbrained mess.” Linkai walks out from his work area, coming to stand beside her. “Why can’t you just use a phone to manage things like a regular person-“

“Maybe I’d remember if you paid me more!”

“Why, you-“

Ruibin clears his throat gently, attempting to cover his laugh with a cough. “I’m not here on business… I just wanted to say hi.”

The two turn to stare at him at the same time.

“Oh.” Says Linkai.

Meiyun frowns. “Why would you do that?”

“W-why?” Ruibin fumbles, hoping his face doesn’t turn red this time.

“Well, why would you come if you don’t need something?”

He decides to turn the conversation away from himself. “Why wouldn’t I?” The elf sets his jaw defiantly. “Don’t you have friends who just come to see you to say hi? Is that a foreign concept to you people?”

Meiyun shrugs. “Pretty much. We just work and go home.”

Linkai nods in agreement.

“That’s weird.”

“I thought you were polite,” Meiyun sniffs, turning away. She reaches into the till below their front desk, taking a wad of notes and tucking them back into her pocket alongside the list. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

She disappears into the fray of sellers and buyers, presumably to fulfill errands of some kind. Ruibin turns to Linkai. “Are you busy now?”

Linkai blinks in surprise. “Not until Xiaoqi gets back. Why?”

“Perhaps you can show me some of the things you do here?” Ruibin does blush now, he can feel it. _Ugh._ “I’m interested in these things.”

“Well… yeah, I guess. It might be boring though.”

“Doubtful.”

The hour begins to pass by swiftly. Things are a little quiet at first, Linkai barely speaking save to answer Ruibin’s questions. It isn’t until the elf clumsily knocks a vanishing potion over his right hand- shrieking as it immediately turns invisible- that Linkai laughs properly, tears streaking down the small human’s face as he finds another spell to counteract it.

Ruibin notes the genuine happiness on the other’s face and wishes he’d turned his hand invisible earlier.

They settle into a comfortable stream of conversation after that, Linkai loosening up increasingly more as he flits around his little stall, tugging Ruibin to the floor with him and then yanking him upright again every time he remembers another thing to show the elf.

Ruibin can’t take his eyes off him.

 _Fuck._ Ruibin rolls his eyes skyward. _Here we go again._

“I’m sorry.” Linkai looks at him for a second, rooted in place, his eyes darting away as soon as Ruibin meets his eyes.

“Oh my god,” Ruibin sucks in a sharp breath. “I didn’t- it’s not what you think-“

Linkai begins rustling through a cupboard, searching for a distraction rather than anything in particular. “No, it’s fine, I talk too much-“

“Linkai, please,” the elf begs, standing up and walking over. Ruibin towers over the other, he realises, so he tries his best to adopt a posture that doesn’t come across as quite so intimidating.

Given the human’s unsettled expression, he figures he hasn’t done a very good job.

“No, really,” Linkai repeats, more quietly, and Ruibin wonders how many times he has been told to shut up, to keep his brilliant brain to himself, and Ruibin can’t stop himself from saying exactly what’s on his mind.

“No, Linkai,” Ruibin braces his hands on the work table, “I like you.”

The younger snaps his head up, disbelief written all over his face.

“Your brain…” The elf tries to back track. “I like listening to you. It’s interesting. The things you say.” He flushes, quickly finishing with, “you’re very smart.”

“I-“

Ruibin’s phone lights up and begins to vibrate rapidly. _Zhou Rui_ , the screen reads.  He fumbles to answer it. “Hey Rui, I’ll be out in a second-“

He turns to the other in a hurry. “I’ll catch you round-“

He takes off toward the exit, curses raining after him as he bumps into several stalls, rattling a cage of hamster-lizard looking hybrids as he does so. They hiss at him, unhappy with his rushed apology, and he disappears out the door.

Linkai blinks, jaw slack and very unsure of what just happened.

“You look whipped.”

The witch stands behind him, grinning, hands stuffed into the pockets of her blue hoodie.

“Lai Meiyun, I will kick you into the middle of next week, so help me god.”

******

Ruibin stands on the street, barely avoiding the rain. It hasn’t stopped all day, hailing at some points and only drizzling at others, and as much as Ruibin finds the aesthetic of it all pleasing on a surface level, he always tends to feel more alone on such days.

He should really move someplace where it was sunny more than two months a year.

Or, perhaps more plausibly, simply try harder not to let his own moods be so influenced by the dramas and musicals he spends far too much of his time watching.

Unlikely.

A horn beeps from across the street, and the white four wheel drive he shares with Zhou Rui pulls up to the sidewalk.

Zhou Rui winds down the window. “Get the fuck in before you get drenched, please!”

The taller elf opens the door and climbs in, letting out a shriek as the other hits the accelerator before he can close the door. “Hey!”

“Not my fault you’re so damn slow.”

He pulls back into the street, ignoring Ruibin’s mutterings of _why are you so impatient_ until he fades into silence. “Do you wanna grab dinner?”

No reply.

“Bin?”

Zhou Rui glances in the rearview mirror. “Bin. Why are you smiling?”

Ruibin giggles.

“Stop that it’s creepy. I’m serious,” Zhou Rui warns, raising an arm to slap his best friend. “You’re always weird but- oh my god.”

“What?”

“You didn’t.”

Ruibin says nothing, choosing to look out the window instead.

“Zheng Ruibin.” Zhou Rui grits out, “did you already- despite the fact that I have told you multiple times to take things slow every single time this happens- proceed to tell Linkai you like him?”

“N-no,” Ruibin replies, tone wavering unconvincingly.

“For fuck’s sake!”

******

“I need you to ask Chengcheng what he remembers about Zhengting’s home.”

Yanchen stands in front of the fridge, cornering Justin who is currently crouched on the floor in the space where the fridge door is slightly ajar. The werewolf looks up in shock and chokes on the milk he is sculling directly from the carton, much to the vampire’s disgust.

Justin squawks, shaking his head violently. “No can do.”

“What do you mean ‘no can do’?” Yanchen says exasperatedly. “I need as much detail on the place as I can get, and you yourself said you couldn’t remember much!”

Justin gets to his feet, screwing the lid back onto the carton and sliding it back into the side door. He slams the door shut. “Yes, but I said I wasn’t speaking to Chengcheng for a week.”

Yanchen stares.

“… and it’s only been four days,” says Justin, looking sheepish.

Tap, tap, tap. The vampire leans against a cupboard, drumming his nails along the benchtop, and Justin finds himself wincing at the unrelenting eye contact.

“Okay so you’re going to get Chengcheng right now or I’ll kick your ass, got that?” 

Justin lets out a cry. “Just three more days! If I speak to him now then I lose,” he pouts.

“Oh, Justin,” Yanchen ruffles his hair, “nobody loses to Chengcheng.”

******

The rain pours down, hitting Yanjun’s umbrella and rolling down, encasing him in a waterfall ring. He plays with it, fingers directing the raindrops to dance in the shapes of animals around him as he waits for Zhangjing to open his front door.

After a solid five minutes of waiting, Yanjun hears footsteps coming toward him and rejoices, the water animals only being of interest to him for so long. He’s certain the sorcerer heard him earlier but probably hoped he’d leave. No such luck today.

Zhangjing throws open the door, dressed in navy blue teddy bear print pajamas and fluffy pink bed socks. His hair is tousled, Yanjun observes, but not in a way that would suggest he’d been in bed. Thank god.

“It’s late.”

Yanjun nods. “I know.”

“I’m tired.” Zhangjing begins to close the door.

The siren turns on heel, then stops still. “No.”

He turns back, shoving his foot in the door just as Zhangjing slams it shut. “Ouch.”

Zhangjing sighs, frustrated. He gives in, stepping away from the door. “Fine.”

Yanjun follows him inside, going into the living room when Zhangjing gestures for him to do so. He sits on the couch, waiting for the sorcerer to come after him. He can hear Zhangjing rustling around in the cupboards and then the fridge, likely getting comfort food. Zhangjing is nothing if not proactive.

He doesn’t smile when Zhangjing enters the room, says nothing when the sorcerer places a plate of brownies on the table between the two of them, then sits down at the opposite end of the lounge to Yanjun.

It’s the longest time Yanjun has ever witnessed the sorcerer be this quiet; normally nothing will shut him up. Right now Yanjun even misses his nagging.

But all he’s met with is silence.

“I spoke to Zhengting,” he begins.

Zhangjing doesn’t answer, just reaches for a brownie and nibbles at it, staring at the blank TV screen.

Yanjun decides to plow ahead. “I know you and Zhengting have been friends for quite some time now… but I get the idea you’re still not… extremely close… I think.”

He finds himself eyeing the brownies. No, no. Just spit it out.

He swallows, then starts to unbutton his shirt from the collar.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Yanjun freezes.

“Are you seriously attempting to fix this by performing a damn strip tease?”

“What? No!” Yanjun stares at Zhangjing, stunned at the outburst. “Here.”

He pulls his silver necklace out, laying it on top of the shirt. Zhangjing looks at it closely, having never seen enough of the chain to see the ring threaded onto it: a silver ring with blue sapphires inlaid.

“That’s Zhengting’s,” whispers Zhangjing, eyes flickering between Yanjun’s face and the ring. “How did you get that?”

Yanjun shakes his head. “It isn’t. It’s mine.”

“No, it’s Zhengting’s, he’s shown me a photo-“

“Then let me show you one.”

Yanjun reaches into his jacket pocket. He opens his palm out to Zhangjing. A Polaroid.

The sorcerer takes it, lifting it to look carefully.

Wenjun smiles at the camera, sitting on the couch in the living room of Zhengting’s old home which Zhangjing recognises from other photos the faerie has shown him before. Zhengting sits on Wenjun’s lap, not looking at the camera as he kisses Wenjun on the cheek. And beside them is Yanjun, head rested against Wenjun’s shoulder, hand intertwined with Zhengting’s across Wenjun’s lap, and three identical silver rings on their hands catching the light.

Zhangjing draws in a breath sharply.           

“You knew them.”

Yanjun nods.

“You knew them, you were in a relationship with them- _you had matching engagement rings with them_ \- and you never said a word about it.”

“It’s very complicated.”

“Really? You could’ve fooled me!” Zhangjing spits sarcastically, throwing the photo back at the siren. “I don’t recall ever even seeing you two speak! Or is that another thing you do when I’m not around? Am I once again the only one who seems to have absolutely no clue as to what is going on?”

“No, we haven’t… been close since that night.” Yanjun says quietly, looking up from his lap to Zhangjing, hating the anger in the sorcerer’s eyes. “We’ve barely spoken since I’ve arrived.”

“He’s never even mentioned you.”

Yanjun looks away. “I wouldn’t expect him to. I left the night Wenjun disappeared.”

“What? You just- you just left him?”

“It’s not something I’m proud of.”

“I should hope not,” Zhangjing says, scornful. “How could you do that to him?”

Yanjun’s mind flashes back to it all: a panicked voicemail from Zhengting, running up the beach, not waiting for a cab. Pulling up to their street to find their house totally sectioned off: the place lit up in angry red flames and smoke everywhere, and Zhengting, screaming, crying, fighting against the paramedics and firefighters, trying to run back into the house.

Yanjun remembers the fear, the way his body trembled as he had treaded barefoot over the grass from the other side of the road to stand behind the hedge, watching the smoke and fire through tear-filled eyes. Zhengting’s repeated screams of _Wenjun, Wenjun, Wenjun_ , over and over like a bell clanging non-stop in his brain, the sudden realization of what he imagined it all to mean.

Then he’d taken off, running straight back up the street, no taxis, just back to the beach.

“And then I went back into the ocean and just… swam. I didn’t stop for four days,” Yanjun finishes. “This is the first time I’ve been back since it all happened.”

Zhangjing leans back against the couch in shock, trying to process everything. He watches Yanjun, the siren curled in on himself, silent tears trailing down his cheeks.

“You just left him.”

“I know,” Yanjun’s breath hitches in his throat.

“He must hate you.”

“I don’t blame him if he does.”

“I want to hate you.”

Yanjun coughs. “I understand that, too.”

“But I don’t.”

The siren stiffens as Zhangjing crawls toward him on the couch, sitting next to him. He wraps his arms around Yanjun, blinking when the siren buries his face into Zhangjing’s neck, crying harder.

“This does explain a lot.”

“What do you mean?” Yanjun’s voice is muffled.

“The spell in Zhengting’s veins. He asked for it, not long after we first met,” Zhangjing explains, combing his hands through the siren’s dark hair. “When he came to me, he told me he wanted it to use as a means to lure people into helping him. Honestly it’s almost as potent as your watersong, as if someone managed to bottle that aspect of your siren powers. But from what you’ve told me, I’d guess the request also came from a place of loneliness.”

Yanjun remains quiet, not crying quite so hard anymore, and fully attentive to the sorcerer’s words.

“Zhengting’s biggest fear is being alone in the world. He hates it more than anything, he’s told me so multiple times while drinking. Even if he doesn’t keep in constant contact with someone- like me, I guess- he finds comfort in just knowing he has them there if he needs them.”

“So what do you believe is the case with Xukun?”

Zhangjing bites his lip. “I think Zhengting does like him, more than he even knows. But he’s definitely using him for something.” He scowls. “Everyone around here seems to be though, so I won’t fault him that.”

“Back to our talk this morning,” Yanjun presses, sitting up straighter, eye level once more with the sorcerer, “I said I didn’t think this spell is fair to Xukun. It doesn’t seem right.”

“The thing is, it isn’t binding. If there’s no attraction at all, the spell cannot work. The greater the person’s feelings for Zhengting, the more intense the spell. It can become dangerous if the person affected by the magic becomes too intense, like wanting to see Zhengting and be with him every minute of every hour, and wanting to be the only person in their lives.”

Yanjun processes this. “So no one can be forced into it?”

Zhangjing shakes his head. “Only black magic is dark enough to actually force someone to love another person. The magic is living. It needs something to grow from, to thrive on- in this case either a sexual or romantic attraction will do.”

He reaches out to the table, picking up two brownies. He hands one to Yanjun.

“The spell isn’t normally administered into the veins,” Zhangjing tells Yanjun, munching a bite of brownie as he speaks. “Typically it’s worn as a perfume or body lotion of some kind. But Zhengting had done his research on it before he found me, and he knew that through the veins the spell is more personal, more powerful- and it can be insanely addicting.” Zhangjing frowns. “I saw bite-marks on Zhengting’s neck the last time I was with him. If I had to guess, I’d say that a vampire consuming that kind of spelled blood would definitely be addicting.”

Yanjun looks lost. “I don’t understand why he felt he needed it. Even without the spell, everyone is always in love with Zhengting, or has been at some point. Why use something so intense?”

 Zhangjing nods in understanding. “First of all, Zhengting trusts no one. That in itself is power, in his mind. Whether having trust issues in reality is actually a good thing or just regressive doesn’t matter; his brain only has his side of it and the magic will work to that effect. Zhengting understands how the spell can enhance his charms and get him whatever he wants, and his knowledge and ambition is what makes it so powerful. I think he relishes the illusion of control that it gives you. He had zero control of anything the night you and Wenjun disappeared. I think this was his way of taking control back.”

“To add to that,” Zhangjing continues, “like I said before, after Wenjun- and you too, now I know this, which in hindsight makes a lot more sense in terms of his trust issues-“

Yanjun flinches.

“After you left, with both of you gone, Zhengting was all alone. I figured it was all that he was missing Wenjun so much he thought he needed spells to have people with him so he wasn’t alone but…”

“He was really hurting.”

“He still is,” Zhangjing says gently, taking Yanjun’s hand in his. He squeezes it lightly, unused to comforting others, even though he felt he was quite good at it.

“But at least he has people now… you guys, Xukun…”

Yanjun trails off with uncertainty upon seeing the sorcerer’s unconvincing expression.

“Actually, I’m not sure he thinks of us that way,” Zhangjing counters, eating more of his brownie. He urges the siren to eat more of his own.

“What do you mean?”

“I just… sometimes I don’t know if Zhengting… how he really feels about us. Everything he does, I don’t know if it’s to be with us… or for Wenjun.”

“So what you’re saying is,” Yanjun says slowly, “you don’t think he actually cares about anyone anymore?”

It was an ugly thought, one neither of them wanted to believe.

“No it’s more like…” Zhangjing bites his lip, mulling over what it is he wants to say. “I don’t think Zhengting understands his emotions anymore. I think he loves us, but doesn’t realise it. Like his only goal is to get Wenjun back, and until he does he can’t see anything past a surface level.”

Yanjun knits his brows. “Then… he’s playing he can’t win. We’re like his pawns on the chessboard, but ultimately there is no real endgame.”

“What makes you think he can’t win?”

“Wenjun is gone…” The siren trails off, taken aback by Zhangjing’s words. He tilts his head a fraction, nodding for Zhangjing to speak, unsettled by the glint in the sorcerer’s eyes.

“What if I told you I knew he wasn’t?”

******

_Bookmarking his page in Breaking Dawn, Wenjun places the book down on the coffee table, stretching with a groan. This was the longest it had taken him to get through a series before: taking almost two months to get through each book once Xinchun had finished reading him the first. _

_He wrinkles his nose, side-eyeing the cover. Xinchun wasn’t joking when he said the writing was no literary masterpiece._

_“Ugh.” He grabs his stomach with an exaggerated groan as a wave of hunger hits, standing up and wandering toward the kitchen. He shuffles over to the fridge, arm reaching in blindly for a blood bag, too lazy to bend low enough to look for their location._

_His fingers brush over the contents of the fridge before he finds one and pulls it out, then reaches for a mug from the top shelf to pour it into. As he does so, he hears faint noise a few rooms off._

_The television._

_Wenjun grabs his mug and continues to shuffle into the hall to the cinema room, the audio sharpening to give way to reality show dialogue._

_Xinchun’s back._

_He opens the door without knocking to see Xinchun sitting in the fourth row of red armchairs, directly in the middle, arms comfortably resting behind his head. Wenjun has never seen more than three people in the room at once, but Xinchun liked all things authentic, and if that meant a fully set up but unused cinema room then that was exactly what he would have, and nothing less._

_Wenjun hesitates at the end of the row. The other vampire had been gone for almost a month on business god knows where, and Wenjun hadn’t expected him back for at least another week._

_“When did you get back?”_

_Xinchun turns to him then, and Wenjun does a double take upon seeing the giant black Louis Vuitton sunglasses inlaid with diamantes covering his eyes._

_He stifles a laugh immediately._

_“Just an hour or so ago.” Xinchun waves a hand dismissively. “I didn’t want to bother you.”_

_“Ah, okay.”_

_The red-head turns back to the screen._

_“Is this Keeping Up with the Kardashians?” Wenjun asks with distaste, shielding his eyes from the screen. “Why is the screen so bright?” _

_Xinchun flings a pair of sunglasses on the chair next to him. “It’s Life of Kylie if you must know,” he sniffs, “and the brightness is all the way down. Put these on.” _

_Wenjun makes his way through the row, folding his long legs up onto the seat to curl more comfortably. He picks up the glasses and frowns but puts them on anyway. Oh, definitely better on the eyes. “Kylie?”_

_“You know? The youngest Kardashian sister?”_

_Wenjun says nothing, clueless._

_“Of course you don’t know. Never mind.”_

_“I’m sure it’s just as bad as Real Housewives,” Wenjun bites, snatching the remote off Xinchun’s armrest. _

_“Hey!”_

_Wenjun switches over to Netflix, holding the remote out of the red-head’s reach as he waits for everything to load._

_Xinchun pouts, too lazy to fight for control and slumps back in his chair. “Since when did you have an account on here?”_

_“Since you left me alone for a month without my own,” Wenjun replies, poking his tongue out._

_“And you call me the baby of this house.”_

_“Because you are.”_

_“Don’t be fucking rude,” Xinchun smacks the side of Wenjun’s face playfully._

_“Aha!” Wenjun grabs the red-head’s hand to stop him hitting him a fourth time, eyes sparkling. “Kim Kardashian.”_

_Xinchun gasps dramatically, hand to his chest. He reaches out to pinch Wenjun’s cheek. “You’re learning,” he says proudly._

_Wenjun shakes his head with a smile, beginning to flick through movies and series suggestions. He hovers over Gossip Girl, fixated on it, the room falling silent._

_“I used to watch this with Zhengting,” he says finally, and Xinchun feels the strange mix of scared and happy he experiences every time the other vampire lets him in on any small piece of his past._

_“Not voluntarily, I imagine?”_

_Wenjun laughs. “God, no. But it made him happy.”_

_He tears his eyes away from the screen, turning to find the other watching him, a ghost of a smile on the red-head’s face as Wenjun smiles at him happily._

_Xinchun’s throat feels dry suddenly, and he turns away, reaching for his wine glass and taking a long sip, leaning into his chair as the red liquid runs down his throat soothingly. He nudges Wenjun’s arm. “Put it on then.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhh this is around the turning point of the story. The next chapter will likely be significantly shorter than the others because it will be the end of part 1 (should be able to upload it quicker tho)
> 
> lemme know ur thoughts in the comments if u have any ily all xxx

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on @yanjunslut if u have any questions or just wanna scream at me,,, also any fic recs!! i need new content x


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